A World of Darkness
by severus-fan
Summary: Hermione saves the life of a vampire and soon an attempt on her life is made. Hermione is thrown into a world of darkness, hate, lust, jealousy, and love. Who should she meet there but her dark Potions Master? SSHG Rated M for a reason! WIP
1. Chapter One

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Potter world - it belongs to JK Rowling. **

**I've done a bit of research for this story (and read a few books) on the subject of Vampires for this story. I hope everyone else finds it as fascinating as I have.**

**Isn't Dentistry a form of Medical treatment? At least, I could have sworn it was. If it's not, then just pretend it is for this chapter.**

**Summary: Hermione unknowingly saves the life of a vampire, one who is a member of a Vampire Lord's elite guard. Soon an attempt on her life is made, and Hermione is thrown into a world of darkness, war, hate, lust, jealousy, and love. Who should she meet there but her dark Potions Master? HG/SS

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_Chapter One_

The rain poured down heavily, making it impossible to see more than four feet ahead outside the window. Hermione stared out anyway, jumping slightly when thunder boomed and lightning flashed. She sat curled up on the window seat in her living room, head resting on her hand, arm bent and resting on the window ledge to support her head. A forgotten book lay on her lap, open to a page covered with faded writing.

The lights had gone out, making it impossible to read the already hard to see text. Giving up after flicking the light switch a few dozen times, Hermione lit a fire and settled in for watching the storm, thinking about nothing in particular. Her parents had gone to a Medical Convention two towns away, and wouldn't be back until the day after tomorrow.

It was only a week into summer, and already Hermione wished to be back at Hogwarts with Harry and Ron, getting into trouble and having adventures. Although she'd never admit it out loud, hanging out with Harry and Ron was a lot of fun. Of course, it was only fun when it didn't interfere with Hermione's studying, but it rarely did. Since graduating a week ago, Hermione had felt herself drifting. She wasn't sure at all what she wanted to do; she only knew she wanted to learn more.

Hermione had received a letter from Harry and Ginny, and two from Ron. Ron had been hinting lately at a step up in their relationship from friends to - something else. Hermione had feelings for Ron of the romantic sort, but she wasn't sure it was strong enough to over-come her platonic feelings. Most of the time she thought of Ron as her best friend, but every now and then she'd get the urge to kiss him, to hold his hand.

Harry was as well as he could be, living with his relatives. Hermione wished she could take him away from there, to fix it so he'd never have to see his horrible family again. But Harry needed the blood protection staying there provided, so there was nothing Hermione could do. She sent him fattening food and bugged him about doing his homework, but she still felt helpless.

Ginny was well, too, despite for her complications with Harry. Harry had broken things off with Ginny - hoping to avoid Voldemort's attention settling on the pretty redhead. Ginny hadn't taken it well at all, crying and screaming at Harry that she could take care of herself. For once, Harry didn't give Ginny what she wanted. He point-blank refused to be the cause of her death, at least directly. Ginny often wrote to Hermione about Harry, telling her everything she couldn't say to her mother. Hermione's heart went out to Ginny, but she thought Harry's decision had been a wise and mature one.

Hermione caught movement out of the corner of her eye, jerking her out of her reverie. She sat up quickly and peered out into the pouring rain, unable to see any better now than she could before. The rain showed no sign of letting up, and Hermione could see no more movement outside.

_And why would anybody be out in this weather, anyway?_ Hermione thought.

She settled back down, relaxing in the warmth of the living room fire. Her breath misted the window, and Hermione drowsily lifted a hand and swiped at the window. Lightning flashed again, accompanied by a loud boom of thunder. The sky lit up from the lightning, and Hermione could briefly see the form of a person lying crumpled on the ground in the middle of the street. She jumped to her feet and leaned close to the window, face practically pressed against the window.

Even with squinting, Hermione wouldn't see anything. The lightning had lit everything up, and since Hermione lived in a remote area, there were no street lamps to light the road. She couldn't see a thing without some light. Making a split decision, Hermione moved to the door, slipping her shoes on. She grabbed her raincoat and put it on quickly before opening the door and stepping out onto her porch.

The sound of the rain hitting her coat drowned out any other noise, and Hermione once again squinted in the direction she saw the body. She moved in the general direction the body had been laying. She reached the edge of the sidewalk and stood there, scanning the road. A dark blob laying in the middle of the road to her left had her scrambling in that direction, careful not to fall. Reaching the body, she dropped down to her knees and shook the person's shoulder.

"Can you hear me? Sir...er...ma'am? Are you alright?" Giving up on shaking the person's shoulder, Hermione braced herself with her legs and pushed the person onto their back. Barely visible in the dark light, she could make out a man's face. His eyes were closed and his mouth was partially open. She reached out with a trembling hand and smacked his face lightly. He grunted and turned his head away, but otherwise gave no reaction. Sighing, Hermione stood up and gripped one of his arms.

Hermione attempted to lift him up, but he was way too heavy for that. Unable to think of anything else but to drag him, she gripped his arm again and began to move backwards. Getting him over the curb (and up the porch stairs) proved to be a bit of a problem, but other than that, Hermione had no trouble. Closing the door behind her, she flung off her raincoat and kneeled beside the man.

His eyes were open now, and he was looking around, obviously dazed. The man's gaze turned to Hermione, and she was struck by their color. His eyes were a vibrant blue, practically glowing in the firelight. His hood and fallen back, revealing long hair tied back in a low ponytail. _My my my. He certainly is good-looking..._ a small part of Hermione's brain observed. She shoved the thought back like she always did - after all, who could think of good-looking boys or men when there was studying to do?

"Sir, are you alright? Are you hurt?" Hermione asked urgently. _Perhaps I should just call an ambulance. _The man shook his head slowly, his eyes never leaving her face.

"No. I will be fine in just a moment." He sat up quickly, forcing Hermione to back up so she wouldn't be in his face. By the time Hermione had brushed away the hair that had fallen into her face, the strange man was already standing. Hermione blinked in amazement. _He sure can move fast._ The man offered a hand to help her up, which Hermione took gratefully.

"What is your name, girl?" the man asked softly. His voice was heaven to listen to, and Hermione could feel herself drifting. Frowning sternly at herself for allowing her mind to drift, Hermione dropped his hand and stepped away.

"Hermione, sir. And yours?" she asked politely. After several moments of silence, Hermione thought he wasn't going to answer.

"Maksim Apraxin." His voice had a faint accent Hermione couldn't place, but judging by his name, it was probably Russian. She smiled at him softly.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Apraxin." Apraxin smiled back, a strange glint in his eyes. Hermione shifted uncomfortably. "Um...the electricity is out, so I'm afraid you can't call anybody," Hermione commented, saying the first thing that came to her mind to break the silence. Apraxin grinned boyishly before pulling a cell phone out of his pocket. Hermione felt like smacking herself in the head.

"Oh, I'd forgotten about mobile phones! I don't spend much time in the Muggle wor- I mean, with my parents," Hermione stammered. She was sure he was going to ask about the word, "Muggle". When Hermione said it, he had frozen with his mobile phone raised. He stared at her silently, unsettling Hermione with his unblinking, unreadable gaze.

Right...well...You can stay here for the night if you need to," Hermione said. Apraxin blinked several times before nodding his thanks and moving off to a corner of the room. He quickly dialed a number and began to speak rapid Russian into the phone. Hermione watched him speak, pale hands moving quickly and gracefully through the air. Finally, Apraxin hung up and made his way back to Hermione.

"If it is alright, I will be staying here until tomorrow night," He said matter-of-factly. Hermione nodded and went to get some blankets and pillows for him to sleep with. Hermione made a quick detour into her father's room to get some dry pj's for the man. When Hermione returned to the living room, she found Apraxin standing at the window, staring out into the night. He turned to face her when she entered the room.

Throwing the stuff casually onto the couch, Hermione stood in front of the fireplace and warmed herself. She gestured towards the pile of blankets, pillow, and clothes with one hand.

"Those are obviously for you."

"Thank you," Apraxin said. Hermione nodded.

"I am a light sleeper, and I have not slept in some time. I will probably sleep right through the day. Please do not open the curtains. I'm sensitive to sunlight," Apraxin said very coaxingly. Hermione felt herself nodding in agreement. The man gave her another one of those smiles, one that made Hermione feel warm all over. She shrugged the feeling off, just as she did before.

"Do you need anything? Food, or maybe a drink?" Hermione inquired. Apraxin shook his head. He seemed puzzled over something.

"No thank you, I am fine. I would like to get to sleep, however," he replied.

"Oh! Of course, I'm so sorry. Please excuse me. If you need anything, I'll be upstairs. Just call up," Hermione said as she left the room, making her way up to her bedroom. Closing the door behind her, she sat on her bed and petted Crookshanks.

"Apraxin seems like a really odd man, Crooks. Something about him is just...off. You can't notice it until you've left his presence, but it's there. I wonder what he was doing in the street. It would have been impolite to ask, but I'm so very curious," Hermione told the cat. Crookshanks purred in response. Hermione stood up and began to do her nightly routine.

She brushed her curly hair out thoroughly before undressing. She slipped on her pyjama bottoms and a tank top before using her lotion on her hands, arms, and legs. Finally finished, Hermione slid between her sheets and sighed. It felt so good to be in her bed, warm and safe. Oddly enough, she didn't feel worried about having a strange man in her living room downstairs.

_It must be because of the wards._

Back at the end of fifth year, the Order had set up wards around Hermione's house. If someone wishing them ill would approach, alarms would sound and the portkey Hermione was to keep on her at all times would activate. The alarms didn't sound, so the man downstairs couldn't have been a threat. Hermione fingered the portkey-necklace she wore. It made her feel safe, and that feeling of safety helped her drop off despite the loud noise coming from outside.

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Hermione tiptoed down the stairs, attempting to avoid disturbing her guest. As she reached the bottom of the stairs, she peeked around the corner in to her living room and found the man on his stomach, face turned to the right and snoring loudly. Hermione bit her lip to keep in her giggles as she spotted a wet spot on the pillow from drool. She turned into the kitchen and made some breakfast - bacon, eggs, and toast - before sitting down and skimming the newspaper.

Once finished, she made her way upstairs and showered. After washing, she dried and got dressed. Hermione tucked her shoes into her backpack before heading downstairs. Her backpack was had her mobile phone (which she really didn't use), a book she read while waiting in line, and anything else she thought she might need on her trip to town.

Before leaving the house, she wrote a quick note to Apraxin explaining where she went and when she'd be back. After writing that he should help himself to whatever food and drink he wanted, she signed her name and left, locking the door behind her. Hermione spent several moments putting her roller blades on and struggling to get onto her feet, before rolling away down the road.

Hermione roller bladed a mile down the road to the little town of Picket, just outside London. Hermione marvelled at the peace and quiet of the country, even as she looked ahead and saw the buildings that made up London in the distance. Everything was wet from the storm, and the road had puddles of water Hermione swerved to avoid.

Hermione rolled into town and passed the Post Office and an ice cream shop. Hermione called out greetings to those she passed as she made her way to the grocery store. Once outside, Hermione changed from her blades to her tennis shoes. Tucking the roller blades shoes into her backpack, Hermione entered the grocery. She shivered at the feeling of cold that greeted her at the entrance as she made her way to the dairy products.

After shopping around a bit, Hermione decided she had everything she could want or need. After paying the money, Hermione switched her shoes for the blades yet again. Hermione tucked her shoes in before the food - she didn't want the food squashed or dirty by the shoes, even if everything was wrapped up.

The return home took longer than the trip into town did, mostly because of the extra weight in her backpack. Hermione sighed in relief as she slipped the pack off her back and stretched leisurely before making her way inside. Once inside, she put away the food and made herself lunch. A quick peek into the living room showed Apraxin still asleep, this time on his back.

_He seems like a nice man. A little odd, but nice enough. I wonder how he came to be here. How long ago was it that he left Russia?_ The man was an intriguing puzzle, one Hermione was beginning to long to solve. Dismissing the enigma asleep in her living room, Hermione climbed the stairs to her room. Slipping her headphones on, Hermione opened the book on healing spells she had been reading last night, and began to yet again devour the written word.

Two and a half hours later, Hermione closed the book and set it reverently aside. Her headphones had not blocked out the noise so well that she wouldn't of been able to hear Apraxin call - they worked just well enough for her to concentrate. _It's so hard reading when it's noisy. I hated reading in the common room for that very reason. _Hermione's stomach rumbled, turning Hermione's attention away from her thoughts of noise and reading.

She made her way downstairs to make something to eat. Apraxin wasn't sleeping as hard as he was before. Hermione promised herself to be extra careful not to make noise. Finishing her sandwich with another bite, Hermione threw the paper towel she'd used to make the food on in the garbage can. Hermione caught a glance at the clock above the fireplace and saw that it was 4 in the afternoon.

Deciding to take a shower, she gathered the necessities and entered the bathroom. The click of the lock sliding in place comforted her. Hermione didn't dawdle - she turned the water on, jumped in, and immediately began to wash. Hermione knew she could do things the Wizarding way - shaving, lighting a light, things like that, but Hermione preferred to do things the Muggle way when in her parent's home.

Stepping out of the shower, she began to mechanically dry herself off. Her hair took the most time, but soon enough she was finished. She dressed in her pj's and padded her way down the stairs. Apraxin was stirring as she reached the last step. Hermione waited for him to sit up and take in his surroundings before speaking.

"Hello, sir. Are you hungry?" Hermione queried. The man shook his head, more to shake his sleepiness away than to refuse nourishment.

"No, Hermione. I am fine." Hermione was halfway to the kitchen when he had replied. She stopped and turned around to find him completely dressed in his old clothes and getting his shoes on. Her brow furrowed in confusion. _How'd he get dressed so fast?_

"But sir, you've been asleep all day. Surely you must be hungry?" she asked. The man looked up at her, dark eyes watching her with a look that made Hermione very uneasy. _His eyes are like a predator's._ Hermione shivered at the thought, and the man looked away.

"I must go. I will eat later. There are people looking for me, and they will be back soon to check and see if I have died." He moved towards the door, but stopped abruptly when he was passing Hermione. He gazed down at her solemnly. He reached a hand out to touch her cheek, but stopped inches from her skin. Hermione quivered where she stood, gazing up at the man. He suddenly seemed dangerous and eerie, and Hermione wanted him gone.

"Thank you for what you have done. You have saved my life, and I will not forget that." He dropped his hand and disappeared out the door, which closed softly behind him. Hermione raced into the living room to the window seat and peered through the window. There was no sign of the man. The yard, street, and woods were empty. Not even an animal was about. _How can that be? It's like he disappeared in thin air._

Hermione suddenly remember her comment about the Muggle world, and the man's reaction to it. He hadn't seemed curious at all about the word, which any normal Muggle would have been. Hermione felt realization slam into her. _He was a wizard! He disapparated. _An idea of the danger she had been in hit her quite forcefully. _Even with the wards, by the time an Order member arrived, he could've killed me and left the scene. _Hermione swallowed heavily and thanked every God and Goddess she'd ever heard of for her safety.

_That's it, Granger. No more helping strange and hurt men. At least, don't invite them into your home._

Hermione stepped away from the window and closed the curtains tightly. She went about the house, locking doors and windows, drawing the curtains shut as she went. She knew locking them was futile - any witch or wizard could get in. But she felt safer with them locked somehow. She threw the blankets, pillows, and clothes the weird man had used into the wash, though she had no idea why.

Hermione gathered her entertainment for the night (her music and another book, _Jane Eyre_) before settling on the couch with the lamp on next to her. She began to read in earnest, blocking out the real world for some time. Several thoughts kept nagging at her brain, and Hermione set aside her book with a sigh to think them out. It was the only way the thoughts would stop bugging her - Hermione knew this from experience.

_I wonder if Professor McGonagall has gotten my letter._ Hermione's future rested on that letter. Unable to decide on what to do with her life, Hermione had turned to Professor McGonagall - a positive authoritative figure that had always been prominently in her life. Hermione had written asking for guidance from all the Hogwarts teachers willing to give some. The people were older, and with age came wisdom. Perhaps they had some way of helping her decide.

_Maybe I'll even apprentice to one of them._ Hermione smiled widely with excitement, and suddenly she couldn't wait for Professor McGonagall's reply. _I'm sure they'll be very helpful. _Hermione could just imagine all the possible jobs out there - Mediwizard, Curse-breaker, Unspeakable, Auror...the wizarding world was an exciting world, and Hermione wished she could try everything once.

As pleasant as her thoughts were, Hermione knew better than to leave a nagging thought alone for too long. Reluctantly, she pushed away her thoughts for later and focused on the other thing that had been bothering her.

_Apraxin's exit...there was no crack of apparition, and no whooshing sound of a portkey. Besides, he had nothing on him but a phone and his clothes. No jewelry or anything._ Hermione mused. _Can portkeys be silenced, and can the portkeyed object still work? If his mobile phone was the portkey, I suppose that doesn't necessarily mean it can't work._ Hermione bolted up right; another thought barrelling it's way in. _Yes, it does mean it won't work! Electronics don't work when surrounded by magic. That's why nothing electrical works at Hogwarts._

_So how did he leave? _Hermione was bothered by this thought, until another one barged in, causing Hermione to relax. _He could be an animagus. Something small, like a snake that can hide in the grass. Or maybe a bug._ Hermione's thoughts turned to a certain beetle-reporter, and a smug grin flitted across her face. _So that's it - he turned into some small animal and left. But why? Surely there are faster ways to leave. _Hermione couldn't reason this one out. The only thing she could come up with is Apraxin didn't want his magic to be traced after apparition. It didn't explain why he didn't take a portkey, but that could be explained away - maybe he didn't have one with him.

Hermione felt herself relaxing even more. _He wouldn't have stuck around either, because he said that people were looking for him. _Hermione wanted to make sure he hadn't, though. The memory of his face when she'd asked if he was hungry...Hermione knew there were cannibals out there, but she had been sure she would never meet one. Now she wasn't so sure. What she couldn't figure out was how to protect herself from him. He didn't register as a threat to the Order wards, but there could be ways around them. She didn't know what type was used on her house. So how should she protect herself?

_Oh, I am an idiot!_ Hermione slapped her forehead and groaned aloud. _Am I a witch or not? I can add to the wards. _Hermione quickly pulled out her wand (she never went far without it) and began casting personal wards on the already warded house. Some were on the entire house, but most focused on the windows and doors. Once finished, Hermione collapsed on the couch and heaved a sigh of relief.

Feeling lazy and tired, Hermione looked at the clock. Eleven at night - saying goodbye, reading for who knows how long, and casting wards had taken longer than she thought. It'd only seemed like an hour or two since Apraxin left. Fatigue hit Hermione suddenly, so she sleepily covered herself with the blanket kept on the back of the couch and slipped into unconsciousness.

Her dreams were filled with Apraxin's face, staring at her with hungry and malicious intent. His black eyes blazed with hatred. Apraxin's skin disintegrated slowly before her eyes: the eyes slipped out and his hair drifted down slowly. Eventually all that was left was a grinning skull. Blood poured out the eye sockets like tears, and then out of the mouth as well. When the blood stopped, maggots crawled out his eyes, mouth and nose. The air became unbearably cold. Hermione couldn't see a thing except her breath in the air before her. She turned around, frantically searching for an exit. A hand on her shoulder caused her to cry out in fear. The nails dug into her shoulder deeply, and Hermione made a noise of pain.

The hand turned her towards the body it belonged to, still digging painfully into her shoulder. Hermione's eyes travelled up. Past the chest, over the shoulders and mouth, before reaching the face. Hermione's eyes widened in fear and a scream lodged itself in her throat.

"What's wrong, Hermione? You look like you've seen a vampire," Apraxin said, smiling widely. His large canine teeth gleamed, looking pointy and very real. The tip of the tooth curved just a little in, but you could still tell they were as sharp as a pin. Hermione struggled to get away, but Apraxin held her tightly. Despite her exhaustion, Hermione continued to struggle. She kicked at his legs with her feet and dug her nails into his hands on her shoulders.

"Where are you going, Hermione? I'm hungry, and a good hostess feeds her guests," Apraxin admonished, even as he leaned closer to take a bite out of Hermione's neck.

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**About the headphones - Yes, Hermione put them on without actually listening to music. I did this for two reasons:**

**One, I don't know any foreign music. I'm American, and I don't know what type of music people in other countries listen to. I don't know if they listen to American music or not. Please don't be offended - that's the last thing I want. If somebody could tell me what type of music (bands, song titles, genre, etc.) popular in Britain (I believe that's where Hermione lives - I'll have to check), then I'd be most grateful.**

**Two - I myself do this. I hate getting distracted from my reading, whether by the TV, radio, or what have you. So I usually slip on a pair of headphones to at least block out the noise a little bit. Maybe that's weird...but there you have it.**

**I'm mentioned this in Chapter 5, but I thought I'd warn you all. This story is slow taking off - at least that's _in my opinion_. You all might feel different. However, if you do find it slow at first, I just ask you stick with me for a little bit.**

**Please review!**


	2. Chapter Two

**I'm not an expert on Owls - I simply clicked on Images and typed in Owls at google. I found one I liked, and figured out which type it was. So if it's a 100 night Owl or too small to carry mail, I'm sorry**

**I always figured Tea Time would be between Lunch and Dinner. Sorry if I'm mistaken - it seemed only logical to me.**

**Er...there 's some lewd humor. Read at your own risk.

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_Chapter Two_

Hermione washed her face, avoiding looking into the mirror and seeing her pale face. The dream had been a terrifying one, and Hermione almost wished for the dreams she had of the battle's she participated in against Voldemort. Her seventh year had been particularly hard - Voldemort had been determined to stop Harry Potter from graduating. Of course he hadn't succeeded, but that didn't make the losses any easier to bear. Drying her face off with the towel and still avoiding looking at herself, she hung the towel up and left the bathroom, flicking the light off. The sun was just peaking over the edge of the horizon, and Hermione thought the light to be comforting.

The dream had unsettled Hermione more than she cared to admit. Without the electricity working, the house was shadowed. With the sun coming up, it was lighter, but Hermione was still unreasonably afraid. _Get a grip on yourself, Granger. It was just a silly dream. No marks on my shoulder where his nails had dug in, no bite marks on my neck. Nothing at all to get anxious over._ Still, the fear lingered, and Hermione had no idea what to do about it. _Perhaps a bit of distraction? _

Hermione went about cooking breakfast, planning out her day, and generally focusing on something other than her dream. Hermione was just setting down to eat when a Barred Owl knocked on the patio windows. Hermione let the Owl in and offered it a piece of her toast before ripping opens the letter.

_Dear Hermione,_

_How are you, child? I hope you've been well. You've only been gone a week and I'm already missing you, Potter, and Weasley. Oddly enough, I start to miss the students that graduate - I never miss any of my charges when they'll be coming back for another year._

_Everything 's pretty much the same here, except no students, of course. Most of the teachers have gone home to their families, but those without stay here. As such, Filius, Pomona, Albus, and I would love for you to come for a visit and discuss a career for you. I'm sure between us all we can come up with something that will please you. _

_If it's possible, please come today at Teatime. We're all rather anxious to see you again, my dear._

_Please reply back with Diogenes, informing us of when your visit will be._

_See you soon,_

_Minerva_

Hermione had flushed with pleasure by the time the first paragraph had been read. _She misses me!_ Hermione couldn't help but feel rather special - to be missed by one 's Professor and to receive a letter signed with their first name! It was weird thinking of Professor McGonagall as Minerva, but Hermione was an adult now. Hermione re-read the letter, a small smile resting on her lips. A thought flickered in the back of Hermione's mind as she read the second paragraph, but she couldn't put her finger one what. Reading the second paragraph for the third time, it came to her. _Flitwick, Sprout, Dumbledore, McGonagall...Snape has a family to go back to?_

The idea of Snape having a family - or even being married! - was a shocking one. _Who could marry Snape? I mean, with his temper and acid tongue, they'd have to have skin as hard as steel or the patience of a saint! _Hermione thought, rather uncharitably. She felt slightly guilty for thinking such thoughts about Snape, but she couldn't 't help it. _Maybe Snape's different in private? More relaxed, less likely to exasperate a person with his comments? _Hermione attempted to picture a calmer, nicer Severus Snape and gave up almost immediately. _So a regular family it is. I wonder if they are anything like him._

It doesn't 't really matter, I suppose. At least I won't have to put up with him at Hogwarts. Hermione fished around for a quill or pen, anything she could write with. Leaving the Owl on the table finishing off her toast, Hermione ran up to her room and retrieved the object of which she was in need. Down she went, back into the kitchen, and then into a chair. Hermione scribbled a quick acceptance of the invitation to go today. She handed the folded letter with McGonagall - Minerva's - name on the front to Diogenes and watched as he flapped off quickly.

Fear being the farthest thing from her mind at the moment, Hermione mentally changed her plans for the day. Standing up and absentmindedly flicking her wand to clean the dishes, she drifted into the living room. She settled down with her book in her lap and opened it to the appropriate page. Instead of reading, Hermione stared blankly at the wall. Going over her career options in her mind, she chewed on her bottom lip and paid no mind to her surroundings until her book nearly fell on the floor. Saving it just in time, Hermione decided she should get dressed.

It was long before her appointment at Hogwarts, but Hermione liked to arrive early. So she should leave around one, as teatime was generally around one-thirty. Humming a tune under her breath, Hermione took a shower, got dressed, and gathered everything she'd need. A glance at the clock showed it was only ten in the morning - she had a few hours to go yet. Unsure about what to do, Hermione decided to watch the telly.

Hermione flipped through the channels idly, finally settling on a comedy show. The man was enthusiastically making fun of some government official in a different country. The comedy shows man did impersonations, which were rather funny. Hermione giggled, although she didn't get all the references.

It was a lazy day: the sun shone weakly as it did after a heavy storm; a cool breeze rustled the leaves on the tree's, and nobody venturing outside. Hermione relaxed in the chair, watching the "idiot box" as the TV was nicknamed. Hermione knew she should be reading or studying, but she was feeling so very lazy...

Hermione' s eyes snapped open. She jumped to her feet and swung around towards the clock - 12:58 p.m. Hermione ran for the bathroom to put her hair up in a bun. Jogging back in to the living room, she grabbed a notebook and pen - materials she preferred to quill and parchment. With a pop, she disappeared.

* * *

"My dear, you're looking well." Minerva enveloped Hermione in a brief hug, much to her surprise. Flitwick - Filius, she supposed she should call him - squeaked out a greeting from around her knees. She smiled down at him and leaned over to hug him, followed by hugs from Sprout and Dumbledore.

"Welcome back, child." Dumbledore twinkled. Hermione grinned.

"It's good to be back, sir," Hermione replied.

"Please, call me Albus," Dumbledore invited. The other's quickly agreed to her use of their first names as well. Hermione smiled yet again, feeling in part at home and in a foreign place. She wasn't quite used to one-on-one attention from all the teachers, and certainly not at once. She followed them up to the third floor, to a statue of Tomas the Tippy. On the way, Hermione listened for the sound of voices and movement. Feeling foolish, she realized that nobody was there but the teachers walking beside her. Once at the statue, the password was quickly spoken - Mulberry - and Hermione entered the teacher's lounge.

It was a small, comfortable room with patched up chairs you sink into when you sit in them, tables with scratches and burns, and a faded carpet covering the room. A fire cackled merrily in the fireplace, infusing the room with its warmth. The room smelled of cinnamon and coffee, an altogether pleasant smell. Hermione sunk into one of the chairs surrounding the table farthest from the door, and was quickly joined by the Hogwarts Staff.

"Now Hermione, I hear you need help choosing a career," Sprout - Pomona - commented. Hermione nodded in agreement while brushing away a stray piece of hair.

"Yes. There are just so many things that sound interesting and challenging, and I'm having a hard time making up my mind. Do I want to curse-break, become and Auror, or a Mistress in some subject?" Hermione frowned in thought.

"I suppose Quidditch is immediately out," Minerva laughed. Hermione couldn't help the sheepish grin.

"That's a given. Even if I wanted to pursue that path, I'm very sure no team would want to hire me on." Hermione's smile faded as she flipped her notebook open and clicked her pen. "I compiled a list of jobs that I thought would be interesting, and I' vet made a few notes on them. I've managed to narrow it down to -" Hermione quickly counted, "four jobs. Mediwizardry, Auror, Mistress, or curse-breaker."

"Well...curse -breakers are required to move to where the site is. Would you mind moving from place to place? The job would be exciting, challenging, and fascinating. You could study under Bill Weasley," Filius squeaked.

Hermione gave it some thought. _Could I move from place to place? If something happened to my parents, Harry, Ron, or anybody else I cared for, I wouldn't be able to get to them very quickly. Not to mention I'd miss out on important anniversaries - birthdays, weddings, funerals, and births..._Hermione didn't feel she could do that. Not without feeling guilty or that she was abandoning her friends. A quick line through the title "Curse-breaker" announced her answer.

"Next is Auror," Hermione supplied. The others leaned back to think about it.

"You'd be working for the Ministry," Pomona said.

"You'd constantly be facing danger," Filius commented.

"You'd be on-call at all times," Minerva uttered.

"You know some of the Aurors already," Albus added. _Trust him to think of the positive._

_Well... would I be up to facing people attempting to take my life every day? The uncertainty of whether I'll live or die? Getting to know other auror's and watching them lose their life? _Hermione's stomach clenched at the thought of watching Tonks die. Tonks was vivid and full of life, and it pained Hermione to think of her as lifeless. "Auror" was crossed out.

"Okay...Mediwizardry," Hermione reported. She glanced up, waiting for their input.

"Well...the most challenging part would be figuring out what was wrong with the patient and the best way to fix it. You'd have to have a firm grasp of charms and potions," Minerva supplied.

"Madam Pomfrey is thinking of retiring soon..." Pomona commented. Everyone's eyes turned to her - Pomona shrugged. "While it may not be any of her business now, what's the harm of telling her? It might effect her decision, and we all know how good some of the Doctors we have are...or are not, as the case may be."

"You'd be helping people," Filius said. "You'd be on call, but that's only if the ward you 're assigned to gets swamped with people."

"And that rarely happens. Besides, having a Nurse around might prove useful," Albus hinted. Hermione nodded slowly. _With the war going on, Albus is going to need somebody who can heal members of the Order without taking them to a hospital. Hospitals ask questions, which nobody can afford to answer._

"Mediwizardry is a definite possibility," Hermione declared. The other's smiled in approval.

"Oh, I just thought of something else. You could be trained right here at Hogwarts, under Madam Pomfrey," Minerva cut it. Hermione smiled. _Living at Hogwarts while apprenticing would be wonderful. But I could do that for my Mistress title just as well._

"Finally, there's Mistress," Hermione looked up expectantly.

"Well, Neville's going to be apprenticing to me, so I'm afraid I couldn't help you," Pomona smiled. Hermione nodded in understanding.

"I'm afraid I've got an apprentice as well, Hermione. Susan Bones has received that position," Filius squeaked. He seemed vaguely disappointed, but altogether pleased with the idea of teaching Susan. Hermione felt her heart drop a little. Charms was one of the two she was hoping for. Out of the two, it was the one she wanted more. Hermione turned towards the teacher of her second favorite subject. Minerva was regarding her silently.

"And you?" Hermione asked.

"I have a question for you, before I answer. Would you mind if I took another apprentice a year from now?" Minerva questioned.

"I don't know...who would it be?" Hermione replied.

"Katherine Hope. She will be a seventh year this coming up year, but she has expressed an interest in Transfiguration. I have agreed to take her on if she still wants to learn in a year," Minerva answered.

Hermione felt disappointed. When thinking of apprenticeships, she'd always pictured a one-on-one sort of thing, with deep discussions and animated debates - and intricate learning, too. Hermione wasn't sure she could stand to have someone else take up Minerva's time. _Not because I'm addicted to the spotlight, of course. _Hermione was quick to reassure herself. _It's just, in the time Minerva is teaching this Katherine Hope, I'm missing out on things she could teach me. _Her decision made, Hermione sat back slowly.

_How much impact will Minerva concentrating on somebody else have on me? Will it really slow me down? Will it take me longer to complete my apprenticeship? _Hermione pictured herself five years from now, with the title of Transfiguration Mistress tacked on after her name. She'd have the Transfiguration Mistress title, yes, but what sort of job can one get with said title?

"I think..." She said slowly, going over all her options in her mind one more time to make sure she had what she wanted, "I think I'll apprentice under Madam Pomfrey." Hermione looked up at the others, gauging their reactions. Pomona and Filius smiled widely and congratulated her on her choice of career. Albus twinkled proudly down at her, a smile discernable through his beard. Minerva looked partly disappointed and partly relieved.

"That's fine with me, dear. I wasn't sure I could handle two apprentices anyway," Minerva sighed. Hermione smiled at her, feeling a weight disappear from her shoulders. _I have direction...I have a path to take. _

"Wait! Will Madam Pomfrey even take me on?" Hermione panicked. Albus made a soothing noise and reached out to pat her hand.

"Yes, child, she will. She's been speaking of retiring for a while now. The only thing she was waiting for was someone she could train to take her place. She will jump at the chance to teach you," Albus explained. Hermione felt herself relaxing.

"Good."

"May I ask you a question, Hermione?" Pomona asked. Hermione nodded.

"Of course."

"Did you ever consider an Unspeakable?" Pomona asked.

"Yes...I did. But the temptation to talk about my work would be too great. Not to mention I'd feel the need to ask questions of those I feel know more than I do on a subject, like Minerva or Filius," Hermione said. "All in all, not a good idea."

Hermione glanced at the clock. "Oh, I must get home! I have dinner to prepare and -"

"Nonsense, girl. You can eat with us," Minerva said. The others nodded in agreement, but Hermione was unsure.

"Are you sure? I wouldn't want to impose."

"Of course we're sure. We wouldn't have offered if we weren't sure. Come, dinner will be served in five minutes," Albus commented, sweeping from the rooms with his violently purple robes (decorated by moving orange dragons) dragging behind him. Hermione grinned.

_Got to love Albus' sense of style...

* * *

_

Hermione returned home with a pop, stumbling slightly when she appeared on her porch. The wards prevented apparition in to her house, so she aimed for the area in front of her door. Hermione landed in the bushes. _Bugger...I must be more tired than I thought...either that or I still have plants on the brain. _

Dinner had been an exciting affair - topics were discussed, people argued, lectured, and agreed. Hermione's head spun with all the information that had been shoved her way. It seems that the Professor's passed around journals - journals specializing in certain things. Filius received the Charms journal, and when he was done, he passed it to Minerva. Minerva received Transfiguration, Pomona Herbology, and so on. They swapped and then discussed the entries - entries that were written by experts in that certain field. It was mind-boggling - her old Professor's were extremely intelligent.

Just as Hermione had decided she absolutely had to leave, Pomona had been arguing with Minerva over a controversial Herbology entry that had something to do with mandrake roots and restorative potions. Minerva had a mischievous glint in her eyes, and Hermione suspected she was arguing for the sake of arguing.

_Poor Pomona. _Hermione giggled sleepily. _Pomona the Poor...Minerva the Mischievous...Filius the Flighty! _Hermione giggled again, nearly dropping her wand. _Albus the Amusing_. This time Hermione's giggled was interrupted by a yawn. Hermione fumbled with her wand, finally gripping it correctly and pressing it into the keyhole in the door. T_echnically, it's a wand hole. _This thought set Hermione off again, only this time from much dirtier thoughts.

_Stick your wand in my hole, and unlock my door...to my house, that is. _Hermione half walked, half fell into her house. Hermione straightened up and closed the door. _Who would've thought that spending time talking, thinking, and planning would leave me so tired? After I took a nap, as well!_

Hermione moved into the living room, feeling more and more exhausted with each step. Managing to summon the energy to slip her shoes off, Hermione collapsed on the couch. Without moving her body, she reached behind her (she was laying on her left side, facing the room) for the blanket on the back of her couch. She pulled it on her and wiggled her sock-covered toes sleepily.

Within seconds, she was asleep.

* * *

A dark figured stood unmoving on the other side of the street. He watched as the girl appeared suddenly in the bushes. A small smile curled his lips as he watched here make her way inside. No lights turned on, but the man had keen eyes. He watched her shadowed-form move into the living room before falling out of sight.

Satisfied, the figure flicked the cigarette from his mouth and onto the street without bothering to put it out. He blew smoke out slowly and with much enjoyment. His eyes never left the house, despite his tilted head, which was bent towards the ground.

"Soon, my pet. Very soon..."

The figure straightened up and smiled. It was a frightening smile, bloodthirsty and lustful. The teeth did not help improve it. The pointy canines glinted in the moonlight, as sharp as pins. The whoosh of a portkey echoed through the night - but not loud enough to disturb the sleeping witch.

* * *

**I know I only had Hermione correcting herself twice about the teachers first name, but I thought that Hermione would concentrate hard and make sure to call them by their first names after awhile.**

**I know this chapter was boring, but it was necessary. Hermione will be returning when school starts up again to apprentice under Madam Pomfrey. Madam Pomfrey is spending time with her family, and will put off returning to Hogwarts as long as she can. Anyway, I had to set everything up on that account.**

**Please review!**


	3. Chapter Three

**In my opinion, I cannot write actions scenes very well. If it seems unbelievable or fake, I'm very sorry!**

**The idea of a nosy neighbor came from The First Faint Glimmer, by Ladymage Samiko. An excellent story, in my opinion. Definitely one worth reading. **

**Sorry for the un-original Vampire Clan/Vampire world names. It was the best I could come up with.

* * *

**

_Chapter Three_

The sound of a pounding on the door woke Hermione. She was on her feet before she was fully awake, her wand drawn and pointed in the direction of the front door. Blinking sleepily and swaying slightly, Hermione took a few seconds to get her bearings. It was freezing in the room - Hermione hadn't lit a fire before collapsing asleep on the couch, and the lack of sunlight hadn't helped. The pounding on the door continued, and Hermione felt her mood sour.

_Bloody people, pounding on doors at nine in the morning and waking everybody up..._It didn't occur to Hermione that she was the only one the pounding was waking up, and that nine in the morning was way later than she normally slept. Hermione stomped to the front door and yanked it open just as the person was moving in to knock yet again. Hermione scowled fiercely at the person on the other side of the door, unconsciously channeling Severus Snape.

"Good Heavens, child! What a sight you make!" Mrs. Newbury exclaimed. Hermione exhaled quickly, causing a lock of hair to fly up and settle back down on its place next to her nose. Hermione brushed the lock of hair aside and reigned in her temper. _Mrs. Newbury is a neighbor, and unless you want mother and father lecturing you because you were rude, you must be polite._ Hermione forced what she hoped was a pleasant smile on her face, but instead it came out pained.

"Mrs. Newbury. How are you this morning?" Hermione asked.

"Just fine, dear. Just fine," The older woman simpered. "I've come to see if your parents have returned safely yet." She inquired, craning her neck to peer past Hermione in a not-so-subtle way. "I would just love to talk to them."

Hermione grit her teeth. _Nosy old woman!_ "Thank you for your concern Mrs. Newbury, but they haven't returned yet. They should be home tomorrow, if you really wish to talk to them." Hermione felt that would end the conversation - Mrs. Newbury had gotten the information she'd come for. She now knew Hermione was home alone, and when her parents would be due back. Hermione began to close the door, but Mrs. Newbury's shrill voice stopped her.

"How are you, my dear? Do you need anything? If you need any help, I'm sure my son would love to come help you. He's a little older than you are, you know," Mrs. Newbury added, as if that was something special. It took Hermione's brain a moment to understand what she was hinting at. _Ye gods! She doesn't expect me and her son to...gods, no!_ Hermione's inner voice moaned in horror. _Get her out of here, now!_ Another yelled. Hermione took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"Mrs. Newbury...I am fine. I don't need anything, and if I did, I wouldn't want to disturb your son. I'd simply call a few friends who could be over faster than you could say...anything," Hermione ended. It was a weak ending, but her still-asleep mind couldn't come up with anything better. Unfortunately, the cold air was waking Hermione up, which she didn't want.

"I really must go now. I left some food on the stove that I must attend to. Good day, Mrs. Newbury." Hermione closed the door before Mrs. Newbury could say another word. Mostly awake now, and upset at being so, Hermione made her way to the kitchen. She grumpily made her breakfast and ate it in the same mood. When an Owl began to tap on her patio doors, Hermione slid the doors open roughly. Apologizing to the startled bird, she fed it some of her bacon and toast before ripping open the missive.

_Dear Hermione,_

_I have heard you wish to study Mediwizardry. You have no idea how much your decision has warmed my heart. I have long heard of your many achievements and abilities, and now I will be able to see first hand how well you work. I must say, I'm looking forward to teaching you. _

_Finding a replacement for me when I retire has made me very happy as well. Living at Hogwarts has prevented me from seeing my Husband as much as I would have liked. _

_As I said, I am pleased with your decision. I look forward to seeing you at the beginning of the next year at school._

_Bless you, Child._

_Madam P. Pomfrey_

_P.S - You may call me Poppy, of course._

Hermione smiled. _So Madam - er, Poppy - doesn't mind that the other teachers decided for her that I was to train under her. I'm so glad!_ Hermione was in a considerably better mood at this point. She stroked the bird and fed him more toast and bacon before penning her reply and handing it to the owl. He flew off with a loud hoot of thanks.

_I wonder what she'll start me out on. Basic spells or basic potions? Or will she test me on what I know already and determine where to begin from there?_ The idea of being unprepared for her upcoming apprenticeship filled Hermione with dismay and panic. Hermione bolted up the stairs to her room, intent on checking which Medical books she had. She wanted to keep her reputation as an intelligent, diligent student, thank you very much.

She never saw the figure standing amongst the small group of tree's next to her house, watching her house intently.

* * *

Hermione passed the day with much reading and memorizing. She tried the spells listed in the Medical books she had with great success. Hermione felt confident that if she kept studying the way she was, she'd be ready for her apprenticeship. Deciding that she had read enough for the time being, Hermione drifted downstairs and into her kitchen, rapidly going over her newly-acquired information. She fixed a sandwich absently and munched on it as she made her way into the living room. She had just sat down and picked up the remote when her front door banged open.

Startled, Hermione drew her wand and fixed it on the living room doorway, sandwich still in the other hand. Hermione backed away from the windows behind the couch, eyes moving from the doorway to the windows and back. Hermione had spent her day upstairs in her room, conserving heat - and leaving the downstairs lights off. Hermione cursed this fact under her breath as a dark shape moved towards her. The lack of light made it difficult to determine who the person was.

Hermione didn't know whether to feel more worried or relieved when she saw that it was Mr. Apraxin. Her breath escaped her in a whoosh, but she didn't lower the wand or look away. Her wand was pointed firmly at his chest. Her dream came rushing back at her, along with the fear. Her mind kept switching between images of the look he gave her before he left and the sight of his gleaming teeth descending on her neck.

"Mr. Apraxin, what may I ask are you doing here?" Hermione demanded. She felt rather proud of herself - her voice just barely trembled. Apraxin held his hands up in the familiar gesture of surrender. He made no move to pull a wand or any sort of object. He moved to stand in front of the windows, the moonlight lighting his features just enough to make them out.

"Hermione, I mean you no harm. I have come to help you," he said calmly.

"Help me? I don't need any help, thank you. As such, you can turn around and walk right back through that door," Hermione said, eyes narrowing. Apraxin made no move to leave.

"Hermione, please listen to me! You might not know this, but I am a -" Apraxin started, only to be cut off by Hermione.

"Vampire?" There was no mistaking it now - her voice trembled. _Please, let me be wrong. Let my dream just be a result of an overactive imagination._ Hermione was even willing to sound foolish, if it would only be a false supposition.

"Exactly." Apraxin's voice sounded, shattering what little calm resolve Hermione had left.

"Oh gods, oh gods, I'm going to die, aren't I? You've come to suck my blood. Please, let me live! I'll do anything if you just let me -" This time it was Apraxin doing the interrupting.

"Hermione, I'm not here to suck your blood. That would hardly be helping you, now would it?" Apraxin soothed. "Please just listen to me. I will explain everything, but there's not much time." In her hysterics, Hermione had lowered her wand. Eyes wide and chest heaving with the force of her breaths, Hermione sank to the floor. She didn't notice that she had dropped her sandwich.

"Okay...explain away." She watched him as he paced across the living room floor. He was muttering to himself and making gestures with his hands. Finally he sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"It's like this: in the Vampire world, there are two groups of Vampires. The Black Souls - who are the bad vampires, if one could say so. They prey for fun - even when they don't need to feed, they're very likely to rip your throat out - if only to watch your blood pour out and your life leave you.

Then there's the Death Hunters. We prey only to feed, and when we do change somebody, they are always willing. Changing someone isn't commonly done, because the sire is responsible for the fledgling and changing someone creates a lifebond. Mostly changes occur when a Vampire falls in love with a mortal. Anyway, the Death Hunters hunt the Black Souls. They are the more evil group, I guess you could say. They wish to rule over humans - wizards and muggles alike - because in their opinion, humans are cattle. I belong to Death Hunter." Apraxin added, as if it should be obvious.

"What's that got to do with me?" Hermione questioned. She really couldn't see how it related to her, and she was hoping that Apraxin had just been in the mood to share information on Vampires.

"Very well," Apraxin conceded. "The two groups are at war. The Black Souls wish to finish off the Death Hunters, who they believe are the only threat to them. Like in any clan, they're social groups. Kings and Queens, Nobles, and commoners. Equal to the nobles but without the same privileges are a group of Elite Warriors. They've never had a name, everyone just calls them Blues."

Hermione began to ask why, but Apraxin cut her off. "The Elite Warriors wear a very, very dark blue outfit. I am a member of the Blues, and I was fighting a group of Black Soul Warriors - we call them the Deathbringers, a self-imposed title I believe - the night you found me. I had managed to get them all, but I had taken some hits. I was gravely wounded, and passed out in the middle of the street. Thanks to you, I lived. I managed to report to my King the information I had gathered from the Templars.

The Templars never fight completely alone. In addition to the five I killed the other night, two more were hiding in the trees. They watched as you drug me into your home, saving my life. The Black Souls consider you an accomplice to the Death Hunters - an accusation results in death. You have saved my life, and now I am returning the favor. I am here to save you from the Black Souls. We need to leave now, because they'll be here soon. Pack only what you will need," Apraxin advised.

Hermione laughed. She laughed so hard, tears leaked out her eyes. She doubled over, arms wrapped around her stomach. "Oh gods, this is too much. This is a joke, right? You're actually Harry or Ron, and this is some stupid practical joke you guys are playing on me? Well, you got me! You really had me going there for awhile." Hermione stood up on wobbly legs and moved towards the kitchen area. Apraxin, however, wasn't going to let Hermione just walk away.

"I am not joking, Hermione. This is not two of your friends playing a joke. If you don't come with me, you'll die!" Apraxin snarled. Hermione stared at his teeth as he spoke, wondering how they could look so real.

"That's just ridiculous. Vampires are just Vampires - they don't have a secret world and they don't -" A rumble shook the house, and the glass that made up the windows burst inward. Apraxin knocked Hermione to the floor and covered her with his body. Apraxin grunted as some of the glass embedded itself into his skin. Careful not to put pressure on any of the wounds, he rolled over. The silhouette of people moved just outside the window. Hermione was unable to see what they were doing because Apraxin's shoulder was obstructing her vision. Frightened, and no longer believing Apraxin was joking, Hermione pulled out her wand and jumped to her feet.

The sight of Apraxin already moving towards the window, a sword being pulled from his long coat shocked Hermione. She stood unmoving in the center of the living room. Apraxin swung the sword up and split a man who had been climbing through the window's head in two. He disintegrated in to dust - which didn't surprise Hermione in the least.

"Go upstairs and pack! I'll do my best to hold them off. Watch your back. Go now!" Apraxin snarled over his shoulder, motivating Hermione to turn and run. Taking the stairs two at a time, she was momentarily stunned when she hit something firm and warm. Glancing up, she saw sharp teeth and long blonde hair. Moving on instinct, she brought her knee up and into his groin. Doubling over, the vampire groaned. Hermione stunned him with her wand and ran to her room. Bursting through the door, she closed and locked it behind her. She magically opened her trunk and charmed her clothes to fly into it neatly.

_Do I leave my books here?_ Hermione wondered. While it would take a moment or two to shrink them and spell them into her trunk, she didn't want to leave them behind for the vampires to take and destroy. Deciding to take a chance, she flicked her wand and shrunk the books. Another flick of her wand had them flying into the trunk neatly. Hermione grabbed the necklace her parents had bought her on her sixteenth birthday. The books all inside, Hermione closed and locked the trunk. She turned to unlock the door, but a hit to the head brought her to her knees. Her vision blurred and then righted itself.

"We've got you now, dearie." Two hands roughly pulled her up by her hair. A tall, big man with a bushy beard and small black eyes stared down at her. She was reminded of those bikers - the ones that wear leather and ride motorcycles everywhere. The man twisted her hair, forcing her head back and exposing her neck. "You look quite tasty. I can see why Apraxin would want you." The man opened his mouth wide, bearing his teeth -

And stopped. His eyes widened and he relaxed his hold on Hermione's hair. A small noise - the sound of breath leaving the body noisily - escaped from his lips. He tilted over, and just before he hit the ground he disintigrated. Behind him stood Apraxin, his long sword gripped in his hands. Apraxin leaned forward and grabbed Hermione's arm, yanking her out the room, down the stairs, and out of the house.

"But...but the house! When mum and dad come back, they'll see -" Hermione babbled. Apraxin, impatience written all over his face, interrupted.

"We'll send out a cleaning team to put the house back together. They'll take care of anybody who witnessed the attack." Too numb and shocked from what had just happened, Hermione didn't question what it meant to "take care" of anybody who had witnessed the attack. She allowed him to lead her into the small forest next to her house and closed her eyes when Apraxin moved her closer to him. With a sharp crack, the two figures disappeared from the forest.

* * *

Hermione opened her eyes and promptly shut them. Cautiously, Hermione re-opened her eyes. At first, Hermione couldn't make out what she was seeing. Everything was blurry because of the side-along apparition. When her vision cleared, Hermione could only stare at the sight that met her eyes.

A large mansion sat in the center of a clearing. It was a dark, gothic-looking place. The sort of mansion you'd see in a horror movie. Hermione half-expected lightening to flash and thunder to boom. A large pathway - most likely the driveway - led from the front gates to the wrap-around porch in the front. A wall of stone stood 12 feet up off the ground, spikes extending from the top. The wall went all the way around the house, but was far enough away to leave a large yard open. Dead trees broke the bleak landscape filled with tombstones.

Hermione felt laughter bubbling up inside her.

_This is so out of a horror movie. I must've fallen asleep watching one, and now I'm having this odd dream. I really just need to wake up._ If Hermione squinted, she could see people moving around the grounds. People were gathered in groups, each doing something different.

Hermione scanned the grounds as she walked towards the mansion in the center. Her stomach twisted and her heart thumped inside her chest. People were actually feeding - Vampires were holding humans close as they sucked the blood from them. With a grimace, Hermione turned away from the image of a vampire feeding from a woman's breast. Blood leaked out from the vampire's mouth, trailing down the unfortunate woman's stomach before being soaked up by her skirt. The woman was making small noises in the back of her throat. To Hermione, it sounded like she was enjoying being sucked dry.

Everywhere Hermione looked, some new, disgusting horror awaited. Multiple vampires feeding off of people, Vampires having sex with humans out in the open, Vampires having sex with other Vampires in the open, orgies, and even murder. Two vampires were steadily skinning the body of a man, a pile of bloody skin resting in the red grass between them. The man's eyes were wide, mouth opened in a silent scream. The film of white over his eyes suggested he was dead, and Hermione thanked God for small mercies.

Unable to think of anywhere else to look, Hermione stared at her feet. She kept her hand on Apraxin - clinging as tightly as she could. People made way as they approached, and as they passed Hermione could hear silence descend. She bit her lip and hoped to god Apraxin knew what he was doing. Finally reaching the front porch, Hermione was led to the front door. Apraxin stopped briefly and spoke, but didn't turn to face her. "Welcome to Shadowland, Hermione." Finished speaking, he pushed open the double-doors and stepped inside. Hermione breathed a sigh of relief. The entrance hall was empty - there was no blood anywhere in sight. Still, Hermione's whole body felt ice cold.

"Um...how can the...erm...Black Souls be worse than that?" Hermione whispered. She licked her dry, cracked lips nervously and moved closer to Apraxin.

"Well...they torture their victims first. Vampires can make feeding pleasurable, but Black Souls love to cause pain. They'll torture you in various ways, drain you of blood, chop you into pieces, and then eat the meat off of you like a human eats chicken. The Black Souls view human body parts as something to eat. Vampires don't need to eat, of course, but they like to pretend. Of course, some just like the way the parts taste. We don't eat humans - we just feed off of them." Apraxin explained, still not looking at her. "Anyway, once the body is picked clean of its meat, the Black Souls will save the organs and fix a sort of human soup with them."

Hermione fought to keep what food was in her stomach in her stomach. She pursed her lips together and gave a sharp nod to show she heard and understood. The thought that Apraxin was acting strange crossed her mind - and then the thought that he was ashamed of what he was is a possible explanation. Hermione shook her head - she didn't know Apraxin well enough to know if he was acting odd - she didn't know his normal behavior after all.

Apraxin led her to a partially hidden door in the shadows just to the right of the entrance doors. He opened it to expose stone stairs leading off into darkness. No sound echoed up, and there was no hint of light. Hermione swallowed heavily and dropped Apraxin's arm long enough to wipe her sweaty hands on her jeans. When Apraxin moved forward, Hermione's hand darted out and latched on to Apraxin once again. The vampire took it stoically, simply pulling her forward into the dark.

"Watch your step. The steps twist and have no railing. Hold on to me - you don't want to fall. It's a long way down," Apraxin murmured. Hermione couldn't bring herself to say anything. Her heart had lodged itself into her throat and refused to budge. Apraxin moved confidently down the stairs. To Hermione's surprise, small torches lit up as they reached them, and went out as the next one flickered on. Hermione relaxed minutely as they made their way down the twisting stairs. It seemed like they had been moving steadily downwards when they finally reached a small platform.

There didn't appear to be any stairs, but Hermione could just barely tell that there was still more darkness - which meant that they were standing on a cliff. Hermione took a long fortifying breath and moved with little resistance to the metal door. Apraxin knocked on it once, the sound echoing across the room back to Hermione's ears. The door screeched open. Apraxin stepped through with Hermione following.

They were in a large, cold cave. Carpet had been laid in certain parts of the room only - mostly under furniture. A long, thin carpet led up to a throne, where Hermione could see an older man sitting. A woman about the same age rested next to him, watching two vampires fight. The throne was where Apraxin led Hermione, tugging her along firmly but gently. People that were lounging in the room stood up and moved closer to hear what was going to be said. Everyone was eyeing Hermione with interest and some with more than a little lust.

Hermione nervously licked her lips again. It seemed to be the wrong move. A ripple went through the group of aristocratic people. The feeling of being prey intensified. "My lord, I come before you with a favor." Apraxin gracefully knelt down before the older couple. Hermione went with him to the floor, clutching his arm to her. She refused to move her eyes up, to look at their faces. _They're just like royalty. Do not look directly at them unless told to._ Hermione repeated this to herself several times.

"Maksim, what is it you have brought before us?" The older man didn't sound so old now. He sounded like he was on the top of his game - one of those people that saw everything, missed nothing, and had a steel-trap for a mind. He didn't sound displeased - interested and a little bored (_how does one manage to sound like both? _Hermione wondered) - But not displeased or angry. His unfamiliar accent was pleasing to the ears. Hermione felt herself relax a little bit even more.

"My lord, this is my favor. I -" Apraxin started to explain.

"If you wish to have her, you have no need to ask us." The woman broke in. She sounded bored and a little angry. I must've spoiled her show. Two vampires had quit their sword fight to listen.

"I do not wish to have her, my lady. I -" Apraxin started again.

"Then what in the world do you want her for?" The man interrupted.

"My lord, this is the young woman that saved my life the other night. Without her, you would have lost yet another Blue to the Templars. Tonight, just as I predicted, they attacked her home. Luckily she was the only one there. I ask, most humbly, that I be allowed to keep her here. I want to protect her as payment for saving my life," Apraxin explained. The man and woman said nothing.

Hermione dared not glance up to see what was happening.

"Maksim, you did not have to bring her here to protect her. There is more than you are telling," the man's voice finally said. It sounded even more interested now. It didn't sound bored at all, in fact. Hermione felt Apraxin tense.

"I...My lord, I..." Apraxin stuttered. His accent thickened from nerves, and his normally smooth voice wobbled. A peek over at him showed his mouth opening and closing silently.

"Maksim, son, there is no need to say 'My Lord' in every sentence," the man commented softly. It seemed to be the thing to say - Apraxin's tense shoulders relaxed. He released his breath and his lips curved up. _He has such kissable lips_...a small voice said. It was the same voice that spoke up in Hermione's head when she was in difficult (often dangerous) situations.

"Sorry, My lord. It's a habit," Apraxin responded. "My lord, I know that it is more common for humans to be sent to a safe house to live when they get shoved in to our business. When I first had the presence of mind to think of what would happen next, I was prepared to send her to one of the houses and not give it a second thought. But the girl...Hermione...she's different. Besides not being a muggle," Apraxin said, causing everyone to whisper at once. They abruptly stopped as Apraxin continued. "She has this ability to...touch people," Apraxin huffed in frustration. "Not touch physically, but...mentally. Being around her allows one to forget certain memories and just live in the moment. She touches you in a way that makes you feel peaceful if only for a little while. And she doesn't respond to my powers."

Quite suddenly, she could feel all the eyes on her. Hermioe trembled in fear and couldn't help but choke out a small gasp of dismay._ I don't want everyone looking at me! Look somewhere else! Say something Apraxin, divert their attention!_

"Girl...what was her name?" The man asked. Apraxin murmured something Hermione couldn't hear - presumably her name. The heavy weight of eyes rested on her yet again. Hermione continued to tremble.

"Miss...Granger. Hermione. Look at me," the voice commanded, and Hermione had no choice but to obey. She moved her eyes from his feet, up his legs, past his chest, before meeting the eyes of the man on the throne.

He was surprisingly young - late thirties, early forties. He had dark brown hair and odd hazel eyes. Normal hazel eyes except in one way - they had threads of yellow throughout. The man studied her silently for what seemed to Hermione to be forever. He was good-looking, too. He had nice teeth (white and straight), long eyelashes, and thin lips. His nose was bent just slightly. It was barely noticeable.

"So you are the one who saved Maksim's life. Remarkable. Even more remarkable is that you managed to make Maksim feel something positive. If that isn't enough, you made him feel to such a degree that he felt he had to share it with the court. Most astonishing," the man drawled. He made no mention of Apraxin's cryptic mark about her not responding to his powers. There really wasn't anything Hermione could say to that, so she stayed silent.

"So, girl, do you wish to stay here? Apraxin will not always be with you, and this place is fraught with danger. I am not at all sure a little thing like you could stay alive," the man continued. Hermione felt a stab of anger._ I'm not little, and I'm certainly not a 'girl'. I'm a young woman!_

"I can take care of myself just fine, thank you. I am, after all, one of the people who fought in the Battle for Hogwarts," Hermione snapped. The Battle for Hogwarts was what everybody was calling Voldemort's attempt to stop Harry from graduating. Dumbledore felt it best to let the world think that it was the school Voldemort had been after, not Harry.

"Oh you were, were you? But so did a hundred or so other people. Just because you were in the battle doesn't mean you are an exemplary fighter." The man's voice sounded slightly condescending. Hermione counted to ten to calm herself down.

"Yes, but not everybody was one of the ten people actively fighting Voldemort and his inner circle." Hermione wasn't sure if it was safe to tell these...things this, but it might treat her with a little more weariness than they would if they thought she was just another witch. Hermione could tell this impressed them - another ripple went through the crowd.

"The ten people who fought against Voldemort are all in the Order of the Phoenix." Surprised, Hermione glanced up at the man. How could he know that? "I am an ally of Dumbledore's. I meet with him once a month. Secretly, of course. We have a go-between man that I believe you know. I shall have to set up a meeting between the two of you," the man drawled. Hermione watched as he scanned the room._ He's searching for the go-between. He's somewhere in this room...but I haven't seen anybody I recognize. Who could it be?_ Hermione wondered. _Lupin? No, he's more likely to be the go-between for werewolves and Dumbledore._ Hermione ran through the list of people it was and crossed them each off her list._ I suppose I'll have to wait for that meeting to find out._

"So you are that Hermione Granger, eh? It is a pleasure to meet you. I have heard much about you." The woman broke in again. She sounded like what she heard had been distasteful. Nobody said anything about looking at her, so Hermione kept her eyes trained on the man.

"Good things, I hope," Hermione sweetly responded. Some laughed - but not the woman. The man on the throne chuckled, however.

"I like her. She has...spunk. She is allowed to stay," the man decided. The crowd gathered around the throne started to talk at once. Nobody approached Hermione, though. Apraxin was standing up when the man signaled for everyone to be quiet. "Any one who harms her will have to deal with me. Tell the others so that they know. I shall formally state my decision this weekend. Until then, it is up to all of you to keep her safe," the man ordered. The others mumbled their acceptance. The looks of interest and lust didn't abate any.

"My dear, if you receive any offers from the men...or woman, you may accept them, if that is your wish. If you say no and they harass you, come to me. I will set them straight," the man said kindly. Hermione nodded gratefully.

"Thank you so much," she whispered. The man smiled, and even though he had pointy teeth, it was a kindly smile.

"Apraxin, take the girl to her room. She must be tired." Apraxin grabbed a hold of Hermione and was shoving her out the door before Hermione even had time to full process what had happened. As she was pulled out of the room, she caught the tail-end of what the man was saying.

"-come here, dear boy. I want to set up a meeting between you and the girl." _So it's a man! _That narrowed it down some, even though Hermione had already decided the go-between wasn't female. She panted as she jogged to keep up with the longer-legged man.

"Who...was that?" Hermione panted. Apraxin continued up the stairs at a fast pace, not bothering to slow down even though it was obvious Hermione was struggling.

"He is the king. King Alexion is his name, though most call him My Lord. The woman next to him was his wife, Queen Samia, or My Lady. Those in the King and Queen's favor are allowed to call them Lord Alexion and Lady Samia, if they wish. Most wish it, as it shows that they are favored by the King and Queen." Apraxin finally reached the door at the top of the stairs. It swung open to show a human in butler's uniform. He never looked above Apraxin's chin.

"My lord, your chambers are ready. I am to escort the lady to the kitchen for food before continuing on to her rooms." Apraxin gave a sharp nod and moved off to one of the arch-ways leading to god-knows where. Before she could stop herself, Hermione called out.

"Apraxin...when will I see you again?" Her voice sounded weak and scared. Hermione swore at herself for it. Apraxin hesitated beneath the archway. "Not any time soon, I think. I am sorry." With that, he went around the corner and disappeared. Hermione sighed and turned to the human. He bowed and gestured her to follow him down a corridor. Hermione walked behind him silently. She entered a huge room full of pots and pans and other normal kitchen-ware. Hermione felt herself relaxing completely in this familiar setting.

"Is there actually food here, or am I going to have to eat something...else?"

Hermione couldn't bring herself to voice the speculation she was thinking as to what she was about to eat.

"They have normal food for the Retainers. The blood is kept in a vault if it has been drained from a human. The humans have their own wing of the house. The Vampires here are protective of them, seeing as they are their food source."

"What's a Retainer? And will I be staying in the Human wing?" Hermione questioned. The man set a plate of fruit in front of her. Hermione immediately grabbed a handful of the grapes and began to eat.

"A Retainer is a human that works for the vampires. Some Retainers are wanna-be's," The man said distastefully. At Hermione's questioning look, he explained. "They wish to be vampires themselves, and take such delight and serving those they idol. If they serve for long enough, and if they're good enough at it, the vampires will turn them. Some Retainers are used as food-source to the ones they serve. But not all are like that." The man was quick to add. Hermione nodded.

"What's your name?" Hermione asked. She longed to asked what he was doing here if he wasn't a wanna-be, but it was private question and she had just met the man.

"Quigley. As for your second question, no. You are being put in the wing for special guests. Humans are rarely put there. Whatever you said or did in front of the King and Queen must have impressed them," the man commented. Hermione sighed as she finished off the grapes.

"More the King than the Queen. She didn't seem to like me much," Hermione said. She picked up the apple and took a large bite out of it.

"Of course not. You're a new female," Quigley said. Hermione furrowed her brow. "What does that have to do with anything?" Hermione asked. Before Quigley could respond, a man stepped into the kitchen. He was wearing the same uniform Quigley was. He was taller than Quigley as well, but otherwise was unremarkable looking. He glanced at Quigley and then Hermione before moving forward.

"Quigley, old boy. You know better than to disturb distinguished guests. Let me take her to her rooms." The man reached down and patted Quigley on the back. Hermione caught a glimpse of teeth marks on the man's wrist. The wound was almost healed, but it was obvious what it was. Hermione's stomach twisted and she lost her appetite. This must be one of the Retainers who are a food-source and a wanna-be.

"Donely, old boy, I don't think so. I was charged with escorting her to her room while you were off feeding your mistress." The contempt was clear in Quigley's voice. Donely stiffened and dropped his hand from Quigley's shoulder.

"I think it would be only appropriate if the obviously higher-ranked Retainer is the one to take the pretty lady to her room," Donely said through gritted teeth. Hermione knew she had to do something, or a fight would break out. Quigley glared at Donely.

"You are not higher ranked! There is no such thing as a higher -" Quigley stated hotly. Hermione licked her lips and interrupted.

"Boys, boys. You both need to calm down. Nobody faults you for feeding your mistress - you obviously take pride in your work and that's commendable," Hermione said softly to Donely.

"Quigley is right, though. While you were off doing right by your mistress, Quigley was charged with taking me to my rooms. You wouldn't give up your job of feeding your mistress to someone else, now would you? So how can you ask Quigley to give up his appointed task of escorting me to my rooms?" Hermione said in a calm, reasoning voice.

"I suppose I couldn't ask Quigley to do such a thing. It would be wrong of me," Donely muttered. Quigley nodded silently in agreement. Neither man looked at each other, instead concentrating on Hermione.

"Good. So go do whatever it is your supposed to be doing at the moment while Quigley here takes me to my rooms." The man nodded, never looking back as he exited the room. Hermione turned back to Quigley, who was avoiding Hermione's eyes.

"Quigley...Quigley! Snap out of it, man!" Hermione snapped. Quigley shook himself out of whatever funk he had been in.

"Sorry. I'll take you to your rooms now," Quigley mumbled. Hermione simply sighed. Hermione slid off the stool and followed Quigley out of the kitchen. As Quigley turned the corner and Hermione followed, Hermione banged into something. _Not again!_ Hermione thought as she bounced backwards. Warm hands on her arms stopped her from having an unexpected meeting with the floor. Hermione sighed with relief and was just about to open her eyes and thank her savior when said savior spoke.

"I see you still have not learned to watch where you are going, Miss Granger. Perhaps I should have a talk with your parents to correct the problem." Hermione knew that deep, sarcastic, velvety voice anywhere. She had listened to it lecture for seven years, after all. Hermione opened her eyes and greeted the one man she hadn't expected to find here, but probably should have.

"Hello, Professor Snape."

* * *

**I really, really hope this wasn't too confusing for you all. I've broken it down:  
Black Souls - Their warriors are the Deathbringers.They're the more evil ones. The name reminds me of Underworld, but I believe that term is Deathdealers.**

**Death Hunters Their warriors are the Blues. So far we only know Apraxin from this group. **

**Just that small section of grass was red, and that was because of all the blood. They aren't killing the people, just feeding from them. Except for the poor skinned man, who must have done something horrible to deserve such a fate. **

**I have an account on deviantart - I have a link to it in my profile; click on the homepage link if you want to see - and a friend of mine, Sighter, had a contest where you have to make up a description of a monster. Sighter and this girl had an agreement - whoever submitted the best description to Sighter would have a picture of it drawn by the girl. I won, too! I'm so proud of myself!**

**Anyway, please review!**


	4. Chapter Four

**Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

**I did explain why it took so long to start posting, didn't I? If I didn't I'll do so in the next chapter. Unless I have loads of notes in the next chapter.

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**

_Chapter Four_

Professor Snape pushed Hermione away from him with a quick, jerky motion. He looked disgusted, and Hermione couldn't help but think it was because he didn't like touching her. Hermione brushed non-existant dirt off her pants, attempting to buy time so she could get her thoughts and feelings together. _Professor Snape's the go-between! I wonder if this means he's a vampire? But what about the time he referee'd the quidditch in the daytime? _Thinking was only causing more confusion, so Hermione braced herself and straightened up.

Snape was watching her intently with his dark eyes. His face was like stone - unreadable and blank. Hermione had never had all his attention centered on her at once, and she found it disconcerting, to put it mildly. She wished he would look somewhere else - anywhere else, as long as he wasn't focused on her.

"Miss Granger," he stated calmly. Hermione bit her lip from nerves, and waited for him to continue speaking. "How interesting that one of the Golden Trio has managed to invade Shadowland. I suppose it was a matter of time. None of you insolent little dunderheads could ever keep your nose in your own business," he snarked. Hermione felt a stab of anger. She could tell he noticed, because his black eyes twinkled - or twinkled as much as his eyes ever did.

"It wasn't my idea to come here, Professor. As you should know, if you were just in the throne room." Hermione tried to reign in her temper. Hermione didn't know why, but he always caused it to flare up. He was the only man that could drive her to distraction with a few disparaging remarks.

"I was there. So you_ touched _Maksim. How...sweet." Snape twisted it, making it sound dirty. Hermione felt the urge to whip out her wand and hex the suggestive smirk right off his face. But she knew he would most likely have her hexed before she even got her wand fully drawn. Hermione took a deep breath and counted down from ten.

"I don't quite know what you're suggesting, Professor, but it's undoubtably wrong," Hermione said - and quite patiently. Snape simply smirked and crossed his arms over his chest. His eyes never left hers as he stood before her. Hermione began to feel uncomfortable under his stare once again, and she searched her mind frantically for something to say.

"Are you a vampire?" Hermione blurted. She froze in shock and dismay, hardly able to believe she had just asked a question like that. Snape froze too, but with fury. His eyes darkened and he stepped menacingly forward.

"It's not polite to ask a question such as that. But because I'm feeling particularily accomodating today, I shall answer. Yes, Miss Granger. I am," Snape said in a cold voice. Hermione swallowed. Terror welled up inside her, and her hands felt cold and sweaty.

"O-oh," Hermione didn't know what else to say. She was aware that she sounded like a terrified idiot, but for the life of her, she couldn't think of anything to say that would get her out of this horrifying situation. Snape seemed to sense this. He smiled maliciously and stepped towards her a little bit more.

"But I'm not just any old vampire, Miss Granger. "I'm a special breed - very rare and much sought after. I..." He paused dramatically. "I am a Dhampir." He smiled grimly and waited expectantly for her reaction. He wasn't disappointed.

"What's that, Professor?" Despite her obvious terror, she sounded intrigued and excited._ As well she should be_, Snape thought. _Dhampir's are not mentioned in any book other than one's penned by Vampires, and those never get published. So it's not a well-known term. _Hermione was quivering with excitement, almost shifting from foot to foot in anticipation.

Snape studied her silently until Hermione slowly stopped shaking. She lowered her eyes from his and stared at the ground, scuffing at it with her shoe. Snape decided to take pity on the girl - after all, it was getting early. The sun would be up soon, and he wished to get a good day's sleep.

"A Dhampir is offspring from a vampire and a human," he explained. He didn't add that Dhampir's had special powers. He didn't want to spend all day explaining to the girl before him every little thing about everything. Hermione's eyes lit up with interest. However, she didn't start up the hopping or quivering again. Snape was relieved.

"What -" Hermione began, but stopped when Snape held up his hand.

"Miss Granger, I do not want to spend any more time explaining things to you. It's horrible enough having to do so in class. I'm not about to do so on my vacation. Quigley," Snape snarled. Hermione blinked in surprise - she'd completely forgotten that Quigley was standing off to the right, a silent observer. "Tomorrow I want you to take Miss Granger down to the library. Get every book that you think she'll need to understand just what she's gotten herself into."

"Yes, sir," Quigley replied in a monotone. He seemed to be trying to appear as weak and invisible as possible. He stood halfway in shadows and spoke softly. Hermione felt a smile spread across her face, but could do nothing to stop it. _A library! Oh, I can't wait to see it. I wonder what sort of books they have? Do they have a large selection? _Hermione longed to ask these questions, but she knew Snape was reaching the end of his patience.

"Thank you, sir," Hermione replied graciously. Snape glared darkly down at her. His dark eye snapped little darts of dislike, and Hermione could imagine them piercing her skin and burrowing down like little worms. She shivered and wrapped her arms around herself. Snape turned and took a few steps towards a closed doorway. He spoke over his shoulder as he pushed open the door. Hermione had to strain to hear over the creaking of the door.

"Do not thank me. I'm only doing this to keep you out of my hair." With a bang, Snape slammed the door shut and disappeared from view. Hermione drew in a shaky breath and clasped her trembling hands together. She turned towards Quigley and smiled weakly. It seemed as if everything that had happened to her today was finally becoming real, and it was doing so with the force of an atomic bomb.

Hermione quietly followed Quigley through what seemed to be a maze of corridors, stairs and doors. Hermione concentrated only on keeping herself together until she was alone. Because of this, she didn't pay attention to where she was going. A little voice in the back of her mind spoke up, _"You know, it might be a good idea to pay attention to where you're going. How else are you going to find your way back? This place is huge, and it'd be very easy to get lost. What if you wandered where you shouldn't? They might kill -"_ Hermione blocked the voice and forced her mind to focus on breathing.

"Thank you, Quigley," she murmured as she stumbled across the threshold and collapsed on the bed. She toed her shoes off and snuggled down into the pillow. The click of the door shutting echoed through the room, and it seemed to emphasize the fact that she was all alone. Hermione allowed the tears to come now. Her sobs filled the quiet room, releasing some of the tension that had coiled up inside her all day.

Finally feeling exhausted beyond belief, Hermione clumsily worked her way under the covers. She hugged the other pillow to her and closed her eyes. Almost immediately, she was asleep.

* * *

Hermione woke slowly. She could see sunlight through her eyelids, and she stretched slowly. She smiled softly and yawned before opening her eyes - to find herself in a strange room. Hermione sat up quickly and clutched the blanket to herself. Her eyes scanned the room, noticing it was a little dusty and had an air of disuse. Curtains fluttered in a light breeze from the open windows. It took several moments, but finally Hermione could remember where she was and why.

With a sigh, Hermione flopped back down onto her pillow and stared up at the ceiling.

_What in the world am I supposed to do all day? I love the library, but I can read for only so long before I feel like my brain is going to leak out my ears and my eyes are going to fall out. I wonder if I could hang out with the Retainers? _Hermione didn't relish the thoughts of spending all that time with vampire worshippers, but she couldn't think of anything else to do.

Hermione reluctantly climbed out of bed and began her morning ritual. After showing, dressing, and dealing with her hair, Hermione cautiously opened the door. All was silent down the long corridor. She stepped out of her bedroom and stood undecided outside the door. She wasn't sure which way she came from last night, and she didn't want to take the wrong way and get lost. Hermione decided to turn left. If she got lost, she'd just retrace her steps and go the opposite way.

Hermione made her way quickly down the corridor, searching for stairs. She distinctly remembered stairs last night. Frustrated, Hermione began to open doors as she passed them. She did so quietly and slowly so she wouldn't disturb anybody who might be in the room. Turning the corner, Hermione saw Quigley stepping through an open door. He softly closed it and turned toward Hermione. When he lifted his head and caught sight of her, he stopped and stiffened.

"Good morning, Miss. If you'll please follow me, I'll take you to the kitchen," Quigley seemed agitated this morning about something, and Hermione instinctively knew it had to do with what he was doing in the room he'd just exited. Hermione knew better than to ask him about it, so she nodded at him and followed obediently through another doorway and down stairs. Hermione paid attention to where she was going this time, and was confident she'd be able to get back to her room on her own.

The kitchen was filled with people, some sitting and some standing. Everyone turned toward the door when they entered, and Hermione was aware of their stares. Quigley led her to the end of the table where a plate sat empty. Hermione took her seat next to a woman not much older than she. Hermione smiled at the woman, who didn't smile back. Hermione quickly looked away and began to fill her plate.

Several people got up and left the room. Other people moved away from Hermione like she had some sort of contagious disease - all except for Quigley. He stayed next to her, slowly eating his food. He didn't notice the digusted and betrayed glances directed toward him. Hermione felt wretched and wished heartily that the others would just leave. But they lingered, boring holes into Hermione's bent head.

Quigley spoke up calmly, "Don't you all have something to do? A Mistress or Master to serve?" The others glared at him, but obligingly set their plates down and left the room. No one bothered to say goodbye. Once Hermione was sure nobody would overhear her, Hermione turned toward Quigley.

"What's their problem?" Hermione demanded. Quigley swallowed his food and replied.

"Hermione, you talked with the King and Queen. You've been put in a room reserved for Honorary Guests, and you know a Blue personally - all in your first night here. They've been serving here from two years to around twelve years with less attention than you give a dog. They're extremely jealous of you," Quigley explained. Hermione was a little taken aback by his use of her first name, but Hermione let it go.

"Well, talking with the King and Queen wasn't anything exciting. Nerve wracking and terrifying, maybe, and certainly something I wouldn't want to repeat any time soon," Hermione said, swallowing a bite of her toast.

"How unfortunate. You will be spending quite a bit of time with the Kind and Queen," Quigley said. Hermione blinked at him, unwilling to understand. The whole idea seemed out of Hermione's formidable comprehension.

"Why on Earth would I be spending time with them? I'm just a human! A human intruder - and a boring one at that! I'm not interesting at all. I just read all day and -" Hermione babbled. She hated the thought of going into the throne room again. She didn't think she could take the stares and leering glances, the weight of the King and Queen's eyes resting on her, and the sense of danger that permeated the room.

Quigley had cut her off before she could really get started. His calm voice and tranquil appearance succeeded in calming Hermione. She took a deep breath and released it slowly as he spoke. "Hermione, they aren't going to harm you. They know you are under Master Snape's protection, as well as Master Apraxin's. You'll be fine - nobody will dare touch you. Unless you want them to, that is," Quigley added.

"Snape's protection?" Hermione muttered. Quigley winced at the disrespectful tone of voice but didn't correct her.

"Yes. Master Snape works for Master Dumbledore, and since Master Dumbledore's protection extends to you, it will fall to Master Snape to make sure you come to no harm. If you do, than whoever did you the harm will have to face Master Snape. That is a prospect nobody is willing to risk," Quigley explained. Hermione was quickly becoming sick of hearing Master before every name, but Quigley seemed to be one of those old fashioned, stuffy servants that thrive on protocol.

"Snape's important around here, then?" Hermione asked.

"He's one of the few Dhampir's around. That immediately grants him special privileges. As well as being a special type of Vampire, Master Snape's father is one of the original Vampires." Quigley finished off his plate of food and sat back with a sigh of content. "By the way, I was ordered to tell you that the Masters are sorry you are forced to eat with us commoners. They didn't mean it as a slight - they simply thought you wouldn't be comfortable eating with them, considering they suck people's blood."

Hermione couldn't help but feel relieved and a little grateful. _Who knew Vampires could be thoughtful? _

"Quigley, I forgot my trunk last night, so I don't have any clothes besides the ones on my back. What am I to do?" Hermione inquired.

"I will send someone out to buy some clothes for you," Quigley eyed Hermione's figure, this time impersonally. He muttered under his breath and pulled out a small notepad. He jotted down a few numbers - _my clothes size_, Hermione thought - and returned the small notepad to his inside pocket.

"I will have one of the Mistresses send something for you to wear today. You should have your own clothes by nightfall." Hermione wanted to protest that she didn't want anybody to buy new clothes for her - she had enough at home. However, if she said that, the Vampires might just send someone home to retrieve her clothes. Hermione didn't want to chance her parents arriving early and meeting up with the vampires. Who knew what they would do to them? So she acquiesced silently.

Thoughts of last night led her to another question - one that Quigley had brought up.

"Quigley, last night you mentioned that the reason the Queen was so mean to me was because I was a new female. What did you mean by that?"

"New females are always a spot of interest around here. They're new, so the Vampires don't know them as well as they know each other. They love meeting new people because of the whole element of mystery surrounding a new person. Who are they? Where did they come from? What are their sexual interests? New females draw attention away from the Queen, who feels she should always be the center of attention. Once the interest in you abates, she'll be charming and kind."

Quigley stood up and set his empty plate in the sink. Hermione did the same and then followed him out the kitchen. Straight ahead was a corridor, and next to the right of it was the door that led upstairs and Hermione's room. Quigley walked stealthily down the hall, making no notice on the marble floor._ It's rather creepy how he makes no noise when he moves. You wouldn't know if he snuck up behind you until he stood before you. _

"Every floor here is black marble, except for the corridors that contain the sleeping quarters. Those are all carpeted, as you no doubt have noticed. The Masters favor darker colors, most especially blood red. I'm sure there is no need to explain why," Quigley commented randomly. Hermione had noticed - she'd notice the blood red carpet, black marble floors. The gruesome pictures that hung from the wall...

"It's disturbing," Hermione said bluntly. Quigley grunted a laugh before stopping in front of a large door. The door was covered in carvings - Vampires sucking blood, piles of bodies without heads, and various other scary things. At the very top was a black sun with an odd symbol in the center. Hermione didn't want to touch the door. She had the wildest idea that if she touched it, the carvings would come to life and eat her. The dark color would leak off the door and cover her from the tips of her fingers and then spreading to all parts of her body. When she would be unable to see, the carvings would attack, tearing her apart and screeching in excitement. Hermione knew she was being ridiculous, but she couldn't help it. The sinister feel of the house was getting to her.

With a sigh of impatience, Quigley pushed open the door and stood aside as Hermione cautiously made her way through. Her breath caught. The library was three stories high. A stone fireplace stood in between two windows that ran the height of the ceiling. The left and right wall was covered with books. Next to the door on both sides was a large stone staircase. The staircase sloped up to the second floor and swung around the room, stopping only when it reached the windows. A small, wood aisle was situated above the stone staircase. A big square was cut out of the floor and a small ladder was the means of reaching the third floor.

In the center of the room was two large, soft couches and four chairs big enough for Hagrid to sit comfortably. They looked to be the type that a person sunk into when they settled down on them. Hermione couldn't wait to curl up in one of the large couches. The sound of books thumping together drew Hermione's attention away from the layout of the room. She looked around and notice Quigley holding three books in his arms. The sound of the third book hitting the second was the cause of the thumping noise.

Quigley approached Hermione with the books and handed them to her. Hermione couldn't make out the titles - the lettering was too faded. Quigley gestured for her to settle on one of the furniture pieces in the room. He didn't move from his place by the door as Hermione lay on the couch, two of the books on the floor beside her, one on the couch with her.

"These books will tell you everything there is to know about Vampires. They were written by Vampires, and some of the books are copies of books Vampires wrote back at the beginning. Take good care of them, or else. Now I must take my leave - I have duties to attend to."

Quigley closed the door softly behind him as he left, and Hermione was alone once again. Sighing, she looked down at her book. It was the thinnest of the three. It had a red cover and black writing that was peeling off. Hermione ran her hands gently over the cover of the book before opening it and beginning to read.

Hermione's eyes widened as she realized what she was reading: the private journal of one of the Kings of the original twelve vampire clans. Hermione could bet that not many outsiders had read this book, and that made it all the more special. Hermione couldn't wait to finish it, and as such didn't waste any more thought on how extraordinary it was that she was able to read it.

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**There you go - I had some major problems with this chapter. I struggled with it ****greatly.**

**I had an idea of what I wanted to say in my author's notes, but I've forgotten. I know I wanted to explain some things better, but I have no idea what it was. Sorry!**

**Do we ever discover what Quigley was doing in that room? Yes, we do. Hopefully in the next chapter, but I can't promise for sure!**

**Sorry this chapter was so short. Still, please read and review!**


	5. Chapter Five

**_IMPORTANT:_ I realize quite a few of you are bored so far. I just have to set up the Vampire world and explain some things about Vampires before continuing. Please, stick with me!**

**Second: I'm leaving soon to be spending the night at a friends. Normally I look over everything to make sure it's at least a little presentable, but I haven't the time today. So please excuse anything you find. Thanks to Awnyainahartbeat for betaing!

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_Chapter Five_

Hermione had to force herself away from the private diary to eat her lunch. After being prodded for quite some time by a grumpy, hassled looking Retainer, she managed to pull herself out of the book and sit down for a nice lunch of hot soup. Her eyes kept straying to the book waiting for her on the table, but Hermione wouldn't chance spilling something on it. Instead, she went over what she had just read in her head, hoping to commit it to memory.

After awhile, Hermione finished her soup and returned to her book. The great King Cael had been a fierce fighter, and quite the ladies man. According to his journal, there was nary a woman who could refuse him their body. His life has been pretty straightforward from the beginning of the journal - until he met Zoe. Zoe was the illegitimate daughter of a Nobleman. She was intelligent, beautiful, kind, and full of life. She was a proper young lady, and refused to allow her heart to rule her mind. She served her father's wife quietly, content in her lot in life. Zoe's father was an ambitious man, and when the Great Cael (as he sometimes referred to himself) visited the Saracen household, he was immediately smitten with young Zoe.

Zoe, however, wanted nothing to do with the ladies man. No matter what the King tried, Zoe refused to sleep with him. Zoe had always dreamed of giving herself to the man she loved, and she felt nothing for the King except respect and reverence. The King spent most of his time chasing Zoe, and the more time he spent with her, the more he wanted her. Frustrated, he struck a deal with Zoe's father.

Back in those days, the Vampires didn't have Retainers. Vampires served vampires - and since Cael was the King of the clan, Saracen had no choice but to give in. Saracen gave his daughter up for marriage to the King, in exchange for a higher position in the court. They were wed at the stroke of Midnight - the only time possible for them, being creatures of the night.

All this was a fascinating read (and would make a good Romance book, Hermione thought), but what made it the most interesting was the first mention of the term Dhampir. Apparently Zoe was one, but Cael never really specified what Dhampir was. Hermione finished the tragic tale in but two hours. Setting the book aside, she sighed.

_I wish I could find a love like Zoe and Cael...but without the tragic end,_ Hermione thought. Her head was aching from all the reading she had done; Hermione longed to know what a Dhampir was. She knew it would be found in one of the other two books, but her head was hurting her enough. It would be killing her if she read any more. Deciding to start one of the other books just before bed, Hermione returned the private diary to the table where a Retainer would reshelf it.

_I wonder how Kind Alexion feels about his brother marrying an illegitimate woman. _Cael had made a brief reference to his brother Alexion. After briefly checking the family tree at the beginning of the book, Hermione determined that there had only been one brother named Alexion. Curiously enough, the tree never named the 12 brother's parents. Hermione knew better to ask King Alexion who his father was, so she simply pushed the thought away. Carrying her two books with her, Hermione retraced her steps back up to her room. Feeling rather proud of herself (she had only taken two wrong turns), she set the books on the nightstand by the bed and took a shower.

Hermione dressed quickly and was on her way downstairs to search for something to do when Hermione turned a corner and spotted Quigley dusting off a vase with his sleeve. Apparently satisfied with how it looked, Quigley took a step back and turned. He registered no surprise that Hermione was there. He simply quirked his lips up in a small smile, which Hermione took as an invitation to join him. Hermione hurried across the hall and stood next to Quigley.

"Hello, Hermione. If you'll follow me, I'll take you to the Rec Room for some tea." Quigley turned quickly and walked off, moving fast enough for his robes to trail behind. Hermione moved after him, watching as he stopped to fix a lopsided painting or dust off another vase.

"What exactly do Retainers do?" Hermione inquired.

"Whatever they're told to," Quigley responded bluntly. Hermione thought back to that morning, when Quigley had exited that room. Hermione longed to know what he was doing in there, but she wasn't comfortable asking him out right.

"Can a Retainer ever refuse?" Hermione asked.

"Sure - but he'll be an outcast if he does," Quigley murmured, concentrating hard on dusting the frame to the painting. "It's an unspoken rule that you can never say no."

"Are Retainers sometimes asked to sleep with...?" Hermione trailed off. Quigley stiffened, and Hermione had opened her mouth to apologize for being so nosy when Quigley responded.

"Is this your indirect way of asking what I was doing this morning?"

Hermione didn't want to admit that it was, but she was always taught that honesty was best. Hermione had learned to lie with the best of them, but when speaking to a potential friend, Hermione found it was best to be honest.

"Yes," Hermione said. "You don't have to tell me, of course. I was just wondering...please, forgive me." Quigley relaxed slightly, and he dropped all pretense of dusting the frame.

"It's quite alright, Hermione. I can understand curiosity..." Quigley added. Hermione waited patiently for Quigley to continue. She had the feeling he would explain what he was doing in that room. As bad as Hermione wanted to know, she knew better than to push him into speaking before he felt he was ready.

"This morning I was...completing a duty. I am hardly ever asked to engage in...private meetings with a Mistress, but it does happen. Last night I was commanded to help...somebody raise their spirits."

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "You were helping a depressed Vampire?" Hermione couldn't help but let her amusement at the thought color her tone of voice. Quigley caught it, and at first he seemed offended. Then he chuckled quietly and nodded. Hermione thought back to what he said about curiosity and decided to ask him what he meant up front, instead of trying to trick him in to telling her.

"What did you mean when you said you can understand curiosity? You seem so...I don't know. Content with whom you are. I see no reason you'd be curious about anything - you don't seem to be the type to go snooping." Hermione was frustrated. She couldn't put what she meant into words, but Quigley seemed to understand.

"Now days, I keep my curiosity under tight control. However, before I came here, I had no such self-control. I only wish I had." Quigley sighed and stopped walking, and it was only then that Hermione noticed they had been moving at all. Hermione was quite used to being somewhere she didn't remember going to, so she didn't let it bother her. "I was a young man, and like most young men, I thought I was invincible. I was too curious for my own good. This house had always been surrounded in mystery and rumors. And why not? After all, the people that live here only come out at night. When they do, they throw wild parties nobody ever gets invited to, yet many show up for. I was dared to climb across the fence with a ladder and sneak up to the windows during the day. I haven't been outside the fence ever since," Quigley said. He smacked the window curtains, trying to free any dust that might cling to it.

"Ever since? How long have you been here? Why haven't you left?" Hermione couldn't keep the questions from tumbling from her lips. Quigley sighed watched her intently.

"You should watch your curiosity while here. It can get you in trouble," Quigley answered Hermione's questions patiently, however. "When I had snuck up to the windows, the people in the house - the Retainers - noticed me. They grabbed me and pulled me inside before I could turn and run. My friends did nothing to prevent this from happening - they turned and ran away." Anger crossed Quigley's face, but it was gone almost as quickly as it had appeared. "The Retainers were going to kill me. After all, I was a threat to their Masters and Mistresses. The vampires decided to give me a choice - death or entering a contract of sorts. Obviously I chose the latter."

Quigley seemed lost in thought, so Hermione didn't bother speaking. Quigley turned a corner and glided to the next to the last door on the right. It was just an ordinary door, and for once Hermione didn't feel apprehension as to what was behind it. She suddenly realized she felt safe with Quigley at her side. With a creak, the door was pushed open and Quigley swept through the opening. Hermione followed closely behind, only to stop on the other side.

Retainers were gathered around a pool table. Off to one side, a large couch faced a big screen telly. To the right of the couch was a large fireplace, and a refrigerator stood in the corner across the room for the television. An open bar stood next to the fridge, with more drinks than Hermione had ever seen. Retainers lounged all over the room, talking, laughing, eating and drinking.

Everyone quieted when they entered the room. Hermione felt her hands begin to sweat and she bit her lip. She remembered the welcome she received from most of these people when she first met them. She wasn't sure she could spend the entire day pretending not to notice the hostile glances directed at her. Hermione was about to mumble an apology and back out of the room when one of the older Retainers moved toward her, hand extended. Hermione took it gingerly, watching the man warily.

"It's nice to meet you, Miss. You're a bit of a mystery around here. We'd all be very much obliged if you could tell us a little about yourself," the man said. Hermione nodded, too stunned to speak. "I am McKinley," he said, and went on to introduce everybody else. Hermione nodded politely and allowed herself to be led over to the couch. She took a seat and wiped her sweaty hands on her pants.

"Well, I'm a student at Hogwarts, and my two best friends are..." It didn't take long at all to tell everyone the important things about her, such as her love of books, studying, and rules. People nodded as she spoke, and when it became obvious she was finished, they drifted back into groups, talking and laughing.

Hermione relaxed against the sofa and silently listened to the conversation around her. The mention of a party caught her interest, and she turned to see four people standing next to the fireplace. They noted her interest and gesture for her to join them, which she did.

"Have you not heard about the party?" the one with odd yellow eyes asked.

"No. What's the party for?" Hermione asked. The others shared an amused glance. They looked...affectionate. Hermione knew the feeling wasn't directed toward her, but she couldn't figure out who it was directed at.

"Isn't it just like them not to tell the Guest of Honor?" the one with black hair commented. The others smiled and laughed, and Hermione knew they were thinking fondly of their Masters and Mistresses. Hermione smiled and nodded politely, as if this meant something to her. She didn't know how often they had Guests of Honor, but she was willing to bet that it wasn't often. Vampire...clans - it was the best word she could come up with - seemed to be very private, almost fanatically so.

"They're throwing the party in your honor, my dear," an older, grandmotherly woman smiled. She patted Hermione's hand before taking a sip of tea from her little cup. Hermione didn't like looking at her. She reminded Hermione too much of her own grandma, and Hermione knew a little of the types of things Retainers did for their Mistresses...well, it wasn't something Hermione wanted to picture her grandma doing.

"So I have to go? But I don't have any clothes...oh. But...I mean, I'm nothing special. There's no need for a party. In fact, I don't want one. Everyone will be looking at me, and I won't be able to leave, and -" Hermione was quite ready to go on for a long time about all the things wrong with the idea of throwing a party for her. Unfortunately for Hermione, the others saw this and quickly began to talk over her.

"It's alright, girl! There's no need to fret. You'll only be the center of attention for as long as the introduction takes. After that, everyone will be too caught up in his or her own world to notice you. Besides, I've heard that Master Snape is to be your escort. He'll make sure nothing happens to you," To everyone's surprise, this only seemed to upset her more.

"Snape? Snape? But he hates me! He'll spend the entire night insulting everything from my intelligence to my looks, and then I'll cry myself to sleep. I can't have Snape as an escort! Oh, this is worse than I thought!" In her agitated state, Hermione forget about the proper way of speaking of a respected teacher. She was becoming frantic, much to the perplexing of the Retainers.

"He's not all bad -"

"He won't do it in front of the King and Queen -"

"Give him a chance, lass, before you make statements like that -"

Hermione could already picture Professor Snape's dark eyes staring down at her in derision, lips curling in a sneer. She shivered and felt tears well up. She wanted her meanest teacher's approval, and seeing his distaste instead always upset her. She tried her best, but it was never enough. She had long ago given up on ever gaining said approval, but it didn't mean that his apparent hatred of her person was any easier to take. Spending the evening in his company was sure to be a miserable time for her.

"Come, Hermione. Let's take you back to the library for a nice calming book. Then you can get ready for the ball, and as soon as it's over, you may return to your room and continue to read. Doesn't that sound nice?" Quigley soothed. He had seen the rapture on face when she had entered the library. He smiled fondly at the young woman, and the warmth of his smile caused her to relax.

"It sounds wonderful, Quigley. Can you please show me the way back to the library?" Hermione asked. Quigley nodded his head and put his hand on her back, gently pushing her toward the door. Hermione thanked everyone for the wonderful time and received your welcome's, nods and smiles back. Quigley closed the door behind him and briskly set off down the corridor, Hermione following dutifully.

"You do realize, Hermione, that you are not a student of Master Snape's. You are a guest here as well, so there's no reason to be his doormat," Quigley commented idly as he turned a corner. Hermione frowned, going over Quigley's reasoning and coming to the same conclusion.

"It won't offend anybody if I stand up to him a bit?"

"Not at all. Most would expect it, in fact. You have quite the reputation," Quigley said dryly. Hermione flushed in pleasure. An article had been released awhile back on the three members of the Golden Trio. While it had stayed away from their personal lives, it had gone into detail about their character. Hermione had been described by the reporter as intelligent, headstrong, and stubborn. Hermione had been slightly insulted by the last two, but let it go.

"Thank you," she said as they stopped before the library door. Quigley nodded.

"I'll bring your clothes up to you later. It's nearly time for us Retainers to go back on duty, but if you need anything, just call." Quigley gestured at an intercom Hermione hadn't noticed before. Quigley turned and left before Hermione could say anything. Shrugging, she entered the library and headed for the same couch she had before. She picked up a book on title, "The Book of Nod". It was an odd title, but it sounded like it would have all the information Hermione felt she needed. Staring at the table of contents, Hermione suddenly thought back to Snape's words the night before.

"I am a Dhampir," Hermione whispered. She flipped through the pages until she reached the "D's" and ran her finger down until she saw what she was looking for. She flipped quickly to page 92 and stared at the title for a moment. It was written in cursive, with the bottom ends of the letters extended farther down than normal, ending in a point. Licking her lips, Hermione began to read.

_The term Dhampir refers to the offspring of a vampire and a human mate, traditionally a male vampire mating with a human female, resulting in an offspring that is normally male. The Dhampir is known to have special qualities. They have been known to inherit traits from their human parent as well, which some speculate is where the ability to be in sunlight comes from.They also have heightened senses. For example, some can sense where vampires hide themselves from the world, therefore having the ability to be a superb vampire hunter. They are also known to be able to withstanding garlic and to reproduce more readily. These qualities would be passed down genetically to his offspring, and it was thought to last many generations. To read more about certain qualities documented Dhampir's have had, look below._

_Each Dhampir has different abilities. Such abilities include: withstanding sunlight and garlic, reproducing with both humans and vampires, and low need to drink blood, quick healing, and the ability to sense souls. If a Dhampir does not need to drink blood and lives for a long time, then said vampire would not need to drink blood faster than a normal vampire._

_Most Dhampir's are created by Sanguarian Vampires. These vampires are usually descendants from the original twelve and head of households in their own right. It is unclear why these vampires produce more Dhampir's than others. Their blood is more pure, and it is commonly thought that a vampire that used to be human has more of a chance to have a Dhampir. _

_All vampires have the ability to heal fast, but some Dhampir's heal fast even by Vampire standards. This ability also extends to healing others faster than they normally would._

_These types of vampires differ from the normal Blood vampires. The most distinctive way is that these vampires feed off the energy of the world around them. They can feel the emotions of others and as a result, many have frequent mood swings. While they enjoy feeding off the energy around them, it is a special treat for them to feed on a human soul. Their nickname is the Psi-Vamp, which is short for Psychic vampire._

Hermione sighed and sat back, absent-mindedly rubbing out a tension headache. _So Professor Snape wasn't lying, _Hermione thought. _Not that I believed he would...but it all seemed so far-fetched. _Hermione sat back and relaxed, staring out the window at the brightly colored leaves. _If the place wasn't so terrifying, it'd be beautiful. Those tree's are lovely, and the grass is so green..._red grass buried beneath bits of skin flashed through her mind, but Hermione dismissed it. Rubbing her eyes, she leaned forward and returned to the Table of Contents page.

She scanned through it, glancing at the information she'll soon know. History, Infection, Vampirification, Anatomy, Physiology, Vulnerabilities, Flying, and a question: Are they evil? There was also a glossary in the back, explaining the common vampire terms. Hermione flipped through the glossary until one entry caught her eye. It was the title of the book. Leaning closer, Hermione quickly read the small paragraph.

_**Book of Nod, The** - The "Secret" book for all vampires, containing the history of the race. This book has never been completely written, but parts of the book do exist all over the world in different languages. Many vampires have copies of the original, filling in the book when new information is discovered. The whereabouts of the parts of the original, unfinished copy are unknown. _

Hermione flipped to the front inside and noticed that a small stamp reading "Copy" was tucked into a corner. Hermione longed to read the original - the sort of things it must say! - but knew that it was so unlikely to be nearly impossible. Hermione decided to be content with reading even a copy, and planned on reading more after the dance. Standing, she grabbed the other book and exited the library. She cautiously made her way to her bedroom, setting down her books by her bedside and moving towards the balcony. She could just barely make out the doors behind heavy curtains. After a few minutes of struggling to figure out how to open the blasted door, Hermione stepped outside and breathed deeply. She wandered to the edge and lifted her face towards the sky, enjoying the feel of sunlight kissing her cheeks and the wind ruffling her hair.

Somebody swore back in her bedroom, and Hermione turned, alarmed. She relaxed when she saw it was Quigley, who was squinting up at the sun. He made his way over to Hermione, leaning against the railing and smiling. In that instant, Hermione could see the young lad he once was. She smiled over at him, and he grinned boyishly back.

"It's nice to be able to just stand around and enjoy being outside without needing to be somewhere else as quickly as possible," Quigley murmured. Hermione didn't respond, instead leaning over to see below. All she could see was grass, so she straightened up.

"Quigley, are you a Muggle?" Hermione asked. It was one of the questions she had been to polite to ask, but felt no qualms about it now. Quigley shook his head.

"No. But I was home schooled, so I wasn't really exposed to the realities of the world. I knew Vampires existed, but just didn't expect to ever meet one. A foolish mistake, on my part." He grinned and coughed. "The reason I came down here was to tell you that your clothes have arrived, and somebody has taken the liberty of buying you a dress for tonight. I've sent for some girls to help you get ready. Master Snape will be waiting for you outside of the doors to the dance hall. Try not to be late."

"Yes, Quigley," Hermione dutifully responded. Before leaving, he tugged a piece of hair. _He's so affectionate. I've only been here a day and already he's the only person I trust. _The sound of the female Retainers' giggling made Hermione sigh in frustration. _Airheads, _Hermione thought, _why is it always air-heads that feel the need to do my hair? _Hermione frowned. _The dance wouldn't be until later that night, around seven, which would be after dinner. Will it really take 5 hours to get ready?_

Hermione sighed and squared her shoulders, mentally preparing herself for the torture she was sure to be subjected to. She bravely entered her bedroom, doing her best not to run screaming from the room straight to the library. _I hate parties. Why should people spend their time doing frivolous activities when they could be reading a good book and learning? _Hermione could never understand why Harry and Ron hated studying so much. To her it was something that allows her to escape her real life. What she didn't realize was Quidditch was Harry and Ron's means of escape.

The cold hand of the brunette woman gripped Hermione's wrist and dragged her towards the bathroom. She pushed her inside while the blonde girl turned the hot water on and began to fill the tub. The brunette closed the door and turned around, smiling happily at Hermione. She swept past Hermione to grab a towel and set it next to the tub. The two girls waited for several seconds, but for what, Hermione couldn't fathom. Finally, the blonde girl spoke.

"You need to get into the tub," the blond said in a soft, awed tone of voice. Hermione's eyes widened and her hands raised, palms extended outward as if to ward off a blow. She shook her head side-to-side, unable to do anything else.

"You have to get in the tub so we can wash your hair," the brunette said. She seemed puzzled as to why Hermione was acting this way. Hermione shook her head again.

"Not with the two of you in here," Hermione said as firmly as she could.

The two girls giggled a high-pitched giggle. Hermione winced, thinking of Lavender and Parvati.

"How else would we wash your hair for you?" the blonde said.

"Wash it..._for me?_" Hermione practically shrieked. The two shared a glance and then nodded in unison. "I don't need anybody to wash my hair for me. In fact, there's no reason for you to be here at all. I've been successfully showering myself for eighteen years - I think I can do it again."

"But Miss -" the brunette started to say.

"No buts. Please leave, or I'll make you." Hermione drew her wand from up her sleeve and let her arm dangle at her side, wand gripped loosely in her hand. The two girls shared another look and moved towards the door, giving Hermione as wide a berth as possible. The click of the bedroom door closing echoed through the room. Hermione sighed and relaxed against the wall. _Thank god, _Hermione thought.

Hermione drained the bathtub and went looking for the dress she was to wear. It was laid out on the bed, and her mouth dropped when she saw it. _There is no way I'm wearing that! _Hermione thought in frantic disbelief, she wheeled around and was heading towards the door when it opened - _rather violently, _she thought stupidly. Her heart dropped down to her stomach when her Potions Professor stomped through the doorway. He towered over Hermione and glared down at her.

"Miss Granger, _what is your problem? _Why will you not let these ladies fix you up for a ball that's in your honor? Are you a dunderhead? The honorary guest must always look their best!" Snape snarled. Hermione bit her lip to stop the giggled that threatened to escape. _Snape rhymed! _Hermione couldn't seem to get a grasp on her thoughts. The idea of going out in that...that...scrap of material was causing her to panic.

"Sir...I'll be more than willing to let them fix me up. If...if I could..." Hermione struggled to get it out. "If I can wear anything but that!" Hermione pointed toward the dress with a shaking finger. Snape slid his gaze from Hermione's hopeful face to the dress laid out on the bed. His lips twitched when he saw it. There was a dark pleasure in his eyes, and Hermione knew he was enjoying her discomfort. Hope died when she saw the dark glint - _he's not going to help,_ Hermione thought in despair. She'd have to go out in that dress in front of Vampires!

"Miss Granger, if that's the dress that was laid out for you, then that's the dress you're going to wear. Now act your age, not like a sniveling child," Snape said smoothly. Hermione glared. Her panic was giving way to anger, and Hermione sighed in relief in her mind. While angry she could at least think more coherently.

"Fine, Professor. I'll wear the dress," Hermione said in a petulant tone of voice. _That slinky, revealing dress. _Hermione sighed and raised a hand to her head. She was getting a headache, which certainly wasn't contributing to her mood. "Now please leave so I can change and they can...fix me up."

Snape studied her for a moment before nodding once and sweeping from the room. As he passed the stand next to the doorway, he pulled out a vial and set it gently on the desk.

"Three drops, Miss Granger." And then he was gone. Hermione moved toward the vial on the stand. Examining it, Hermione recognized a Headache potion when she saw one. Sighting, she took the three drops and turned towards the dress. It was black, slinky, long tube dress that laced from the hips up loosely enough to show more skin than Hermione had ever (or will ever) show in public. It would cling to her body like she was wearing nothing at all. She would never be the type to wear slinky things and flutter her eyelashes. _And yet here I am, about to wear this. _

The two girls had observed her silently, noticing the defeated posture. They shared another glance and moved toward the poor girl as one. The blonde grabbed the dress and the brunette took Hermione's hand.

"Miss, we only want to make you look great for the ball. We promise not to over-do it," the brunette said. Hermione looked at her and nodded. It was obvious to the two girls that "the Miss" was not somebody used to wearing reveling clothes. In fact, they had heard she'd spent all day in the library.

After shampooing and conditioning her hair, the two girls set Hermione down at a vanity and began to mess with her hair. Spells were cast here and there, some several times because her hair wasn't cooperating.

Hermione's eyes widened when she saw her reflection. Her hair was extremely curly - as usual - and still bushy. They had left the bangs alone, but had managed to pin the rest up in a messy bun; several strands were allowed to fall free. Following the instructions the two girls suggested - after all, Hermione was a guest, and they were mere servants. She didn't have to respond - Hermione's make-up was applied. The girls weren't talking now, instead focusing on their work. Not liking the silence, Hermione decided to fill it.

"So what are your names?" Hermione asked. The girls hesitated, but after a raised eyebrow from Hermione, the girls answered her question. _It does work! _Hermione thought gleefully.

"Tanya, Miss," the blonde said.

"Veronica," the brunette mumbled. She stepped back to admire her work and nodded. The blonde murmured her agreement and then moved aside so Hermione could see herself. They had put the barest amount of make-up on her, just enough to emphasize her features. Hermione had to admit, at least to herself, that she looked good. The blond held up the dress to Hermione, who swallowed and went to put it on.

She stepped out of the bathroom, her cheeks flushed. _I can't believe I'm wearing this. _Hermione was miserable. She didn't want to go to a ball, she didn't want to have to wear this dress, and she certainly didn't want to be the Guest of Honor. But what she wanted (or didn't) apparently mattered not even a little. So with a little sigh, Hermione followed the two girls out the door.

They went their separate ways at the bottom of the stairs. The girls left through a doorway that opened to the servants' hallway. _Apparently they aren't to work at the party,_ Hermione thought. Sighing, she made her way back through the Entrance Hall, which she hadn't been in since last night. The Ballroom was easy to find - she just had to follow the noise. The closer she got, the more nervous she became. Her cheeks burned with embarrassment to be in such a dress, and the heels were already killing her feet.

So the sight of Severus Snape standing outside the doors dressed as he was and waiting for her was almost too much. She stopped and stared. He looked just like the other men - hair pulled back, soft, elegant looking robes covering his frame. Hermione had never seen him dressed in such a manner, and it took a few moments to get used to. As she made her way to him, she promised herself that she would speak as little as possible. She didn't want to draw undue attention to herself, and she certainly didn't want to experience Snape's disparaging remarks on this night.

* * *

Severus heard the girl heading this way, and thought it was about time too. _The stupid girl had thrown a fit over getting help, and now she was taking her sweet time arriving. I wonder what she did with that horrible hair of hers, _Severus thought viciously. He had been contemplating all Miss Granger's faults - and oh how many there were! - when he caught sight of her. 

Stepping in to the light, Severus was surprised to see she looked pretty. Beautiful, in fact. The notion was a foreign one in connection to an ex-student and bushy haired-know-it-all. Her curly hair was up, pieces hanging down; her neck was exposed enticingly. The black dress showed of Miss Granger's generous curves and quite a bit of skin. Severus had the strange urge to curl the piece of hair around his finger and nibble on her neck. Irritated at himself, he growled. Miss Granger looked startled and fearful, and Severus mentally slapped himself. _I promised Dumbledore I would take care of her, which I won't be able to do if she fears me. _

"Miss Granger. You look...acceptable," Severus said neutrally. Hermione nodded and smiled weakly up at him.

"You do too, sir." She looked uncomfortable and pale. Severus sighed. _It's going to be a long night - I'm going to have to baby-sit her every second; I'll be unable to have a decent time. _Severus grumpily held out his arm. Hermione took it tentatively and allowed herself to be pulled in to the ballroom.

And so the dance began.

* * *

**My sources: **_http // www . vampires . nu / pages / Terms . cfm / PageID /_

_http // www . penddraig . co . uk / vampire / index . html_

**Delete the spaces if you wish to visit these websites. I'm giving credit where credit is due.  
****The use of the term "Vampire" is what I was told referred to the mythical version of the vampire. The term "Vampyre" refers to real life people. **

_Oh -- I know that I had a ball in Past Confrontations as well. However, we haven't really been exposed to how the Wizarding world does get-togethers. Since the Wizarding world seems to still be in the Regency times, I thought that a ball would be fitting. It's all they ever seem to do in the movies (and books), anyway._  
**So Severus has found Hermione good-looking. That's a small step in the right direction. _The story should pick up soon enough.  
_****If you want to see the dress that the Vampires want Hermione to wear, go to here: **http // www . feelingusa . com / img / Irg/ la/ 8238.jpg


	6. Chapter Six

**Disclaimer: If I was JKR, I wouldn't be writing fanfiction. I'd be writing book seven and cackling madly. **

**Note: I'm so far behind in my chapters. I thought I had chapter eight written (I should be writing chapter ten) but I decided it was too short and combined it with chapter nine. I might eventually have to update a little later than Friday (but no later than Monday) but for now I've gotten the next few chapters written. **

**This story is _so_ hard to write:(

* * *

**

_Chapter Six_

The music ended suddenly as Hermione swept through the doorway on the arm of Severus Snape. Hermione was once again in the center of attention, something she was highly uncomfortable with. _At least nobody's whispering this time, _she though in relief. There was more people in this room than she'd seen before at the house. _I didn't know there were this many vampires! _An extremely pale man stood next to one of the vampires, blood running down his chest from his neck. The contrast between the blood and the color of his skin had caught her attention. Hermione swallowed and hoped that this wasn't going to turn into a feeding orgy. A quick glance around showed humans scattered throughout the room. _Bugger! _Hermione swore. Several vampires stepped toward her as she swept past, faces twisted in hunger and want. She shivered and faced forward.

The King Alexion and Queen Samia were settled into chairs that sat on a dais at the back of the room. They were high up enough to see the entire ballroom, a fact they were taking full advantage of. They watched silently as Hermione and her former professor approached. Hermione tightened her grip on her old professor's arm. She was very willing to deal with his acid tongue if he didn't leave her side at all during the evening. She wasn't comfortable with these people, and she was unsure if she ever would. Hermione knelt down as close as she could to Professor Snape. He didn't even glance at her, merely bowing his head in submission. Hermione copied that motion, trembling slightly.

"Severus, I'm so glad you've finally arrived. You will have to save me a dance later this evening." Queen Samia purred. She smiled coquettishly at him and fluttered her eyelashes at him. Severus raised his eyes to her feet and murmured a soft acceptance. The Queen smiled in triumph at Hermione, who caught the look while sneaking a look from between her locks of hair.

"If Severus is to dance with you, then I shall have the honor of dancing with Miss Hermione." The King said decidedly. Hermione blushed and stammered her response. She forgot to follow simple etitquette and met the King's eyes without his permission to do so. Instead of the disapprovement or anger she expected to see, she saw kindness and a glint of humor. She relaxed enough to smile back before excepting Professor Snape's hand. He led her out to the dance floor; the music started back up. After a few moments of twirling around the floor by themselves, they were soon surrounded by other couples. Not everyone danced - some stayed on the sidelines, touching humans and talking.

Hermione concentrated on the dance steps. She paid no attention to what was going on around her - instead staring at her Professor's cravat. She did not notice that he pulled her closer until her body brushed his. Startled, her gaze jerked up to meet his. He smirked down at her and raised an eyebrow. She lifted her chin to him and continued to dance closely to him. Smiling darkly in to Hermione's eyes, he pulled her body up against his. Hermione stiffened in his arms and drew in her breath. Hermione tried not to let him get to her, but the unfamiliar feeling of a man's body pressed against hers made her breathless and scared. He leaned down and put his lips next to her ear. The brush of his warm breath agains her ear tickled. Hermione fought the urge to giggle.

"Do not worry, Miss Granger. I have no interest in you or what you offer. I do not care for silly, immature little girls who aren't even pretty." Professor Snape whispered harshly. Despite the fact that Hermione would rather kiss Harry - a brother to her - than even touch Professor Snape, his cruel words ripped through Hermione.

Hermione had never really considered her looks much. She thought schoolwork and achieving her goals much more important than looking like a barbie doll. However, when she looked around and saw other people holding hands and kissing, she always felt a pang of longing. Burying herself in her schoolwork usually took care of any lonliness she might have, but sometimes it wasn't enough. To be considered unworthy even in the eyes of the greasy, cruel teacher that was Professor Snape was a blow to her fragile ego concerning her looks.

As such, his words hurt more than they probably should have. With a gasp, Hermione tore herself from her ex-professor's arms and escaped as fast as she could to the shadows at the edge of the dance floor. Pressing her back against the wall, she wrapped her arms around herself and bit her lip to keep the sobs from escaping. Nobody glanced her way, for which Hermione was grateful. She slid down the wall until she was sitting down. Leaning her head against the wall, she watched the people in the room without actually seeing them.

The minutes ticked by steadily, and Hermione never moved from her spot. Eventually the cold stone floor numbed her bottom, causing her to stand up. She brushed at her bum and looked around. The party was even more wild now. A couple feet in front of her, a male vampire sucked blood from the inner thigh of the woman. She was moaning, her legs spread as wide as they could go. Her chest was heaving and her breasts were straining against the front of her gown. Her head was thrown back, her throat exposed. Her eyes were half-closed, her hair in disarray. The vampire looked up from between her legs and met Hermione's eyes.

"Would you like to join us? I can make it pleasurable...unless you like pain." His eyes glinted in the light. His mouth, nose, and cheeks were smeared with blood. The woman made a noise of protest and thrust up toward the man's face. Taking Hermione's silence as a decline to his offer, the man lowered his face back between the woman's legs. Hermione was tense as she made her way closer to the doors.

She passed a female vampire licking a man's chest. He stared down at her in awe and lust. He didn't even glance as Hermione snuck past. The female vampire looked at her without stopping her licking. She bit the man's chest and made a "mmm" noise. Hermione shivered and hurried away. Three females feasted on a female human who was lying on her side. One was sucking avidly on the woman's breast, the other on her buttocks. The third took the obvious - the neck. All three seemed to be enjoying themselves immensely as the woman struggled and made gurgling screams. The closer to the doors she got, the more graphic and horrifying the things being done to human's was. No longer were any moaning in pleasure and lust. These people screamed and pleaded for mercy. They begged for the vampires to stop. Blood was everywhere, and sometimes chunks of flesh could be found amidst puddles of blood. Hermione felt the gorge rising in her throat.

The feeling of a hand suddenly griping her arm frightened Hermione. She whipped around to find Apraxin gazing down at her, his pretty blue eyes glinting. It was only then that Hermione realized just how odd vampire eyes were. The pupils were tiny pinpricks against the iris. Only in the dark did they grow, and then to a size large enough to cover the entire iris. Hermione allowed herself to be pulled from the darkened area full of vampires and people, to the full dance floor.

Apraxin wrapped his arms around Hermione and lead her across the floor. Hermione sighed and moved a bit closer to Apraxin - _becuase he makes me feel safe, _she tried to convince herself. It wasn't working very well - feeling safe didn't explain why her stomach was in knots, or what she wants to press her face to his chest. Apraxin was watching her intently, and when Hermione smiled at him timidly, he gave a small smile back. Hermione moved closer to the vampire and sighed. This was the safest she felt all night. _Which really isn't a good sign, _Hermione though. _I'm more comfortable with a vampire stranger than I am with my vampire teacher who I've known for seven years. _

At first, Apraxin stiffened at the lack of space between him and Hermione; he relaxed minutely after a few moments. Hermione didn't move any closer, and she didn't look away from Apraxin's face. He would glance at her now and then, but for the most part would avoid her gaze. She could feel the tension he was radiating and was apologetic for making him uncomfortable. The song ended with Apraxin bowing over Hermione's hand and gliding away quickly, robes flapping out behind him. _He couldn't get away from me fast enough. _Hermione thought of Snape. _I wonder if flapping robes is a vampire thing?_ Snapping out of her thoughts, Hermione turned and moved farther away from the doors. She wanted to leave badly, but the memories of what was happening down at that end of the room was enough for her to decide to hide in the shadows at the other end until the dance ended.

As she made her way around the raised dais, she noticed that the Queen's chair was empty. After a quick glance around, Hermione spotted Professor Snape and the Queen in a corner on the opposite side of the room. They were dancing extremely close and were apperantly having a private conversation. Hermione turned around and was about to slip behind the small space between the wall and the dais when she someone grabbed her wrist. She spun around, ready to yank away and scream as loudly as she could. Hermione could barely make out the King's voice over the conversation, music, and pounding of her heart. He gesture toward the dance floor. Hermione nodded but spared a longing glance toward the small space. Sighing, she met the King on the dance floor and prepared herself for yet another dance with a vampire.

This time Hermione kept a respectful distance. The King smiled gently down at her. Hermione didn't allow herself to relax - after all, this was the King. He could be a monster behind that polite, nice looking face. _It's hard, _Hermione thought, _to remember that these people are really human. _The King spun her around before bringing her in. He wrapped his arms around her, face inches from hers. Hermione's breath was coming out in pants. She couldn't understand why she felt so funny around these vampires. Apraxin made her want to curl up against him and never leave, and the King made her want...she didn't know what. She just felt odd - breathless and hot, and full of feelings like anticipation and anxiety.

The King spun her away from him against and caught her hand as she was yet again swung in. This time Hermione wasn't brought as close as before. He kept a respectful distance, but his eyes remained dark with emotion. The confusion of feeling she had when she was near him diminished slightly as she moved farther away. The King quirked his lips at her and winked at the song ended on a crescendo. He too bowed over Hermione's hand like an old fashioned gentlemen before walking away to intercept with his wife and Professor Snape's dance. Hermione practicaly ran to the hidden space, grateful to get away from the lusty eyes and blood. Hermione hated the dress she was wearing with a passion. It clung to her and showed off her body, drawing unwanted attention to her. The looks Hermione had been recieving had been shocking. Nobody had ever looked at her that way, and Hermione was quite sure she didn't like it.

Hermione pressed herself as close to the wall as she could get. She pulled her wand out of her hidden pocket before casting a discrete distracting spell. She kept the wand in her hand as she closed her eyes and released the tension she'd been experiencing. She listened as songs were played and then switched. Over and over she listened to the music and allowed herself to enjoy the peace. Finally the dance was announced to be over. Hermione canceled out the distraction charm and slipped out of her hiding space. She moved as quickly as she could toward the doors. The people that had been grouped together near them had stood up. Retainers were currently cleaning the mess of blood and whatnot.

Hermione had just reached the doors when she was tripped. She landed face first on the floor. The crack of her head hitting the floor echoed. Hermione cried out as someone gripped her by her hair and lifted her up. Through her water eyes, she could make out the face of a female vampire baring her fangs and hissing.

"Don't think that because you danced with three of the most sought after men in this clan that you're something special, little human. You have no right to walk around like you're better than the rest of us. You're nothing but a small, weak girl. One wrong move and your protection will be removed. Watch yourself, little human."

The vampire shrieked as Apraxin slit her throat with his knife. Blood leaked out instantly. The female glared at Apraxin and rubbed at her neck with her hand. It came away soaked with blood. The female smiled and licked the blood from her hands, watching Apraxin all the while. She tilted her head back in invitation, only to freeze when Apraxin pressed the tip of his knife to her exposed neck.

"Leave her be, " Apraxin said softly. "She's done nothing to warrant this attack."

Hermione backed away slowly and turned to leave the room. Everything had been too much - the feeding vampires, the confusing feelings, the sudden terror and certainty of death, and the reek of blood that filled the air. _I don't want to be here, I have to leave. I have to prepare for my apprenticeship, there's so many healing spells and terms that I don't know. I need to give this dress back and go back home. Mom probably made pumpkin pie, and that's my favorite. This isn't the place for me, I have to leave, I don't want to be here.

* * *

_

Severus moved into Hermione's path in one smooth motion lifted her in to his arms, cradling her like a baby. Hermione stared up at Severus, babbling nonsense. Her eyes were glassy and her breathing heavy. Severus ignored her tiny voice as he carried her from the ballroom to her room. He made no attempt to stem the flow of words as he made his way up to the room and dumped her unceremoniously on the bed. Severus crossed his arms and stared sternly down at the young woman. Despite himself, he felt pity for her. Tonight had been a bit too much.

_They should have introduced her gradually. The idiots instead threw everything at her at one time. The silly woman hasn't had a chance to adjust to everything. _Severus knew she would have to get used to it, and soon. _I suppose it's a good thing she'll get used to seeing blood andhearing screams. It's not as if the final battle will be a tea party. _

Tired of listening to her, he lashed out. "Stop that this instance. You will be quiet and listen to me. You will not interrupt until I'm finished. If you do, I'll make sure you regret it." He glared down at her, his lip curling in disdain. Hermione shut up instantly, used to obeying any command issued by her former professor.

"You stupid, stupid girl," he hissed. "The moment you began to feel like you couldn't handle any more, you should have found me. I would have escourted you from the room immediately. You've made a fool of yourself, and in front of some of the most unforgiving group you'll ever meet. I used to think that you were at least semi-intelligent. How mistaken I was." His eyes glinted angerly at her.

Hermione sat up and glared at Severus. He smirked down at her, and Hermione lost what little control she had.

"You evil man! Like I would go to the man who insulted me the first few moments in to the dance. Why would I go to you? For more insults? Fuck that. The last thing I needed to hear tonight was degrading comments. I was nervous enough. I hate you, Professor Snape. I hate you!" She grabbed a pillow and chucked it at him. Severus caught it lazily and chuckled.

"Hate me if you will, but I am your keeper here. It is my duty to keep you safe, so we'll be spending a lot of time together."

"I'd rather Apraxin be my keeper. At least _he _doesn't make me feel worthless." Hermione snapped. Severus raised an eyebrow.

"Fond of Apraxin, are you? I saw that dance you had with him. You were pressing yourself against him! And the King - staring at him like a trusting little human, ripe for the picking." Severus was curious about her relationship with Apraxin. He had never defended anybody before, and Severus had never seen the King look so interested in a human before. Even after he was finished dancing with her, the King had watched her make her retreat. Hermione flushed a becoming pink color. Severus followed the trail of pink from her cheeks down to her chest. _I wonder how far it goes..._.

Severus felt his groin twitch with sudden interest. Growling out loud, Severus moved across the room to stand before the door to the hallway. Not bothered by the growl, Hermione began to glare.

"I saw your dance with the Queen, professor. Enjoying youself, were you? It certainly looked like it to me. Maybe -" Hermione shrank against the bed as Severus moved foward. He leaned over Hermione, hands on either side of her head curled into fists. No part of Severus was touching her, but Hermione could feel his anger like a physical blow. She stared up at him with wide, terrified eyes. Her lower lip was trembling, and she was almost sickly pale.

"Do not talk about things that do not concern you. Knowledge comes with a price, and the price of what you are speaking of is much higher than you would wish to pay. Never ask personal information of me unless I get something in return." Severus lifted a hand and traced her jaw before slowly running his thumb over her bottom lip. Staring into her scared eyes, he slid his hand down past her neck to cup her breast. Hermione stiffened and began to tremble - and it wasn't all from fear. The strange feelings she had while dancing with the King was back in full force. Unused to the overload of emotions, she could only stare up at Severus. Severus smirked down at her; he squeezed her breast once in an oddly gentle way before straightening up.

"Like I said, the price is much higher than you would wish to pay." _Would it be? _He had seen the interest in her eyes as he touched her. The idea of that young, curvy girl lusting for him caused his groin to throb. Severus turned away and stalked toward the door, hoping she didn't see his erection or the lust that was sure to be written on his face. Severus half-turned back to Hermione, robes wrapped around him. His face was mostly in shadow - the only thing that was visible was the whites of his eyes, and his teeth.

"By the way, Miss Granger - you will have to adjust your sleep schedule to fit that of the vampires. They would like to see more of you, despite your obvious reaction to tonight's events." Severus exited the room before Hermione could answer.

Making his way down the corridor, he considered his options. _I need to take care of this...problem. _His erection caused his pants to be uncomfortably tight, and Severus wanted it taken care of immediately. _Hmm...perhaps Tina would be willing to spend the night with me.

* * *

_

Herimone lay trembling on the bed long after the click of the door shutting echoed through the room. She was panting and made no move to get up. _Is there something wrong with me? _Hermione wondered. _I've felt that feeling before, but never as intense. _Kissing Ron had made her feel the same thing, although in comparision to even how the King made her feel, it was nothing. Ron had never made her feel a rush of feelings that nearly overwhelmed her. The King had made her feel sort of like that...and so had her ex-professor. Her old professor had made her feel the strongest - a mix of fear, excitement, and longing. Hermione had been about to kiss her professor when he had moved away.

_There must be something wrong with me. If I were to feel that strongly about anybody, you'd think it'd be for the King. He's handsome and has never said a mean word to me. _Remembering what her professor had said to her in the ball room still hurt. Hermione sighed and sat up to slip her shoes off. _It's was just a momentary lapse in judgement. I'm not really all that attracted to Snape. _

Hermione slipped out of the dress and walked to her dresser. After gathering some clothes, she made her way to the bathroom. Setting her stuff down on the top of closed lid of the toilet, she grabbed a towel and turned the water on as hot as she could stand it. Steam immediately rose in the air, and as Hermione stepped into the bath, her hair clung to her face. A quick swish of her wand - which she had carried with her into the bathroom after taking it out of a hidden pocket in her dress - and her hair was pinned up out of reach of the water.

Hermione settled back and sighed with pleasure as the warm water started to relax her muscles. Her eyes begin to droop with fatigue as she thought about what had just happened a little while ago. Hermione could still remember what it felt like to be under her professor - even if he wasn't touching her body with his, she was still unable to move. _And his hand..._Hermione gulped. She was starting to feel odd again - and she was throbbing somewhere she had never done so before.

Of course, Hermione knew what this meant. She'd read books, after all. But to actually feel it...that was another thing. Hermione wasn't a prude, but she certainly didn't want to feel anything but respect for her dour ex-professor. _So much for just respect, _Hermione thought. She sat up and glanced around hopefully for something - anything - to distract her from her thoughts of her professor. The bathroom was filled with the normal objects - hair products, towels, a sink and a toilet, but nothing to distract her. Hermione stood up and stepped out of the water, heading striaight for her night clothes. After slipping them on, she practically ran for the bed. She slipped in between the sheets and grabbed the _Book of Nod_. _This will keep me busy. _Opening the book, Hermione determinedly began to read.

_Deficiency of magnesium in the body is known to lead to anxiety, irritability, anger, insomnia and mood swings; all features exhibited in vampires, especially when deprived of sustenance._

_**Flying**_

_Vampires can utilize stored energy better than normal folk, and a vertical leap - or rapid escape from pursuit - might suggest flight. _

_**History**_

_Vampirism has started across Eastern and Central Europe since the Dark Ages; the first publically-known instance of a vampire was in the British Isles during the nineteenth century. More recently, many isolated cases have been recorded in the Americas, with some accounts of serious infestation._

_No vampires have been found in the Southern Hemisphere._

_**Infection**_

_A small minority of bites can lead to a metamorphosis from 'normal human being' to vampire; otherwise known as vampirification. One study suggests fewer than 1 percent of attacks lead to vampirification._

_The favoured age of victims is early twenties; almost equal numbers of male and female victims, with a marked predominace of healthy, educated and intelligent people._

_See **Vamprification **for more information._

Hermione sighed and closed the book._ As fascinating as I find this, I don't want to read it all in one sitting._ Hermione set the book down on the stand and shut the light off. Hermione snuggled down into the bed and struggled to get comfortable. Finally, she found a position she could sleep in and quickly fell out.

Hermione dreamed about her Professor touching her that night.

* * *

**By old professor, I don't mean to say that Severus is an old man. I meant her professor she's known for a long time.**

**Oooh...lusty feelings are starting.**

**I'm trying to spread out the vampire information and not dump it on you all in one chapter. I suppose it's not really that important to the story, in most cases, but I thought it was different. Source:  
http:// www. vampyreverse. com/ facts/ **

Big thanks to awnyainahartbeat for betaing and **Please review!**


	7. Chapter Seven

**Thanks to awnyainahartbeat for betaing!**

**This believe this is unbeta'd, so any mistakes are my own. I don't want to rush my beta, so I refused to bother her so I could update. When my beta is finished, I'll replace this chapter with the beta'd one. NO complaints!!**

**Me and a friend, _Hermy Puckle, _have created a Yahoo!Group. If you like laughing and being nuts, PM me or Hermy and we'll send you a link! We'd like for more members to join. You don't need a Yahoo account to join, either. For one Yahoo!Group I'm in, I'm using a hotmail account. Please join!

* * *

**

_Chapter Seven_

"So, what sort of abilities do you have?" Hermione asked excitedly. While she was well aware of Snape's legendary temper, she was much to excited to pay attention to the signs that he was beginning to get seriously annoyed with all her questioning. His eye continuously twitched and his hands were opening and closing sporadically. Hermione remained oblivious, although the vampires and retainers currently in the room noticed and scattered almost immediately.

It was a week after the ball, and Hermione was just starting to adjust to the new world in which she found herself. It had taken three days to adjust her sleeping schedule so she was at least sleeping some; even now Hermione had problems resting at night. _Still, at least it's better now than it was four days ago, _Hermione had thought that morning. Hermione was still mortified by the sight of a naked person, but no longer did she feel the urge to run from the room. Instead she turns away and looks for someone (clothed) to talk to. She is unable to hide her disgust and fear from the Vampires when she witnesses the Vampires feeding from a human and making it painful. Even after the realization that some people _liked _pain, Hermione wasn't comfortable witnessing it.

Hermione rarely saw Quigley anymore. He seemed to work during the daytime. _All the better to avoid contact with the vampires, _Hermione thought. _Not to mention avoiding a certain dark professor who I'm constantly in the company of. _She missed the formal man, but was normally too busy partying with the vampires to focus on it.

The parties have all been informal - no skimpy dress needed to be worn at them. Hermione had no choice but to wear the clothes the vampire provided for her. Much to her chagrin, they were all popular muggle styles - which meant showing more skin than Hermione was strictly comfortable with. The parties mostly consisted of vampires playing dark music as others fed, talked, or had sex. _Sometimes all at once, _Hermione thought with disgusted wonder. None of the parties had held people screaming in pain, for which Hermione was grateful. Apparently those were held downstairs while the rest went on upstairs. If one wanted to have a little more fun, they could just take the steps down to the throne room.

To prevent a panic, Hermione was allowed to write to her parents (and nobody else) once a week. Hermione had created the excuse of being invited to a friend's vacation home. Any mail sent to the wizarding address was forwarded to the house Hermione currently found herself in. Despite being caught in a world most humans never got to see, Hermione was looking forward to going back to Hogwarts for her apprenticeship.

"Miss Granger, while I understand that your insatiable curiosity makes you blunt and rude, could you please try and control yourself?" Professor Snape pinched the bridge of his nose. "I am getting a headache." Hermione turned red and mumbled an apology, but still looked up expectantly at her former Professor.

With a sigh, Snape explained, "I enjoy drinking blood just as much as the next, but I don't need as big a quantity as another my age. I need to slather myself with an extra strength protective potion to go out in sunlight, and I have the ability to reproduce." Snape leered at Hermione briefly. "Other than that, I am the normal vampire." Hermione nodded her head in understanding. Unable to stop herself, Hermione asked another question she had been wondering.

"Sir, what does the Order know of...my situation?" Hermione asked. Snape sighed but seemed willing to answer more questions as long as they weren't personal.

"The Order knows that you are here with me. They know why, and that you are under my protection. I give them daily reports on what you're doing and who you're seen talking with," Snape responded. Hermione nodded.

"How do Harry and Ron seem?" Hermione asked. It was what she really wanted to know - she missed them dreadfully - but she was afraid asking Professor Snape would make him angry. To her relief, he simply raised and eyebrow. As he spoke, his teeth flashed in the light. Hermione found herself constantly staring at the vampire's teeth. She couldn't seem to help herself. Out of everything to fascinate her, those seemed to do it.

"The same as always, Miss Granger. Stubborn, belligerent, willful, unwilling to listen to reason, and hot-headed. Complete dunderheads," he snapped. Hermione took his snarling to mean they were fine and fell silent.

The front yard was dark, except for the tiny squares of light that shone down from the windows above. Snape avoided them almost absently, swooping around them and retreating to the darker areas. Hermione followed along, allowing Snape to lead her to where he wanted. _It's not as if he'd hurt me. If he did, he'd have to explain to the Headmaster why I'm injured. And he already told me his opinion of me sexually. _Hermione again felt a pang at that. She rubbed her chest, stopping only when Snape eyed her inquiringly.

Hermione racked her brains for something, anything, to fill the silence. The Professor seemed to enjoy it, staring off into the distance with a blank look on his face. Hermione was feeing uncomfortable, however, and wished that she could think of something intelligent and witty to say. Instead, she tripped over a large rock sticking halfway out of the ground and flailed as she attempted to catch her footing. Snape's hand on her arm steadied her. Painfully aware of how stupid she must seem in his eyes, Hermione felt her cheeks burning and felt the hand that was wrapped around her upper arm. Snape released said arm slowly, staring down at Hermione with eyes hidden in shadow.

The sound of the gates creaking open distracted Snape, and Hermione breathed a sigh of relief. Turning towards the gates, Hermione saw three figures stumbling towards the house. With a gasp, Hermione realized it was three of the Blues. Snape was already moving towards them, dark blue robes (Hermione had been unable to stop staring for several moments when she first saw him in them) billowing as he moved toward the three vampires. Snape swiftly picked up one of them, holding him like one would hold a baby. He moved off to the house, disappearing inside while leaving the doors open. Voices drifted from within, and two more vampires made their wait to the injured ones and helped them inside.

Hermione finally unfroze enough to jog into the house. Retainers were rushing everywhere, holding clean towels or towels covered in blood. Hermione swallowed at the amount soaking the towels, but didn't shy away from the sight. Blood had never bothered her before now, and one had to get used to see a lot of it when living with Vampires. Hermione followed the hurried Retainers to one of the doors she'd never been in off to the left. She slipped inside unnoticed and settled in a corner.

A group of vampires were surrounding the Blues, who were resting on a loveseat while receiving medical treatment. They hissed and snarled as they were dabbed with some sort of liquid on a cotton ball. Then a vampire moved in to Hermione's line of vision and she couldn't see any more. _I thought vampires were fast healers, _Hermione thought.

Just then, an anxious looking Retainer rushed in, babbling that the King had called a meeting. Several vampires and Retainers left immediately, while others stuck around to wait for the injured. Mentally shrugging her shoulders, Hermione stood up and left the room, being careful not to knock into a Retainer holding medical supplies. _There's no reason for me to stay. They'll just explain what happened, and I wouldn't understand anyway. _

Vampires had their own terminology, and most of the time Hermione couldn't make out what they were speaking of when they spoke of work. This didn't bother Hermione so much -- after this summer, she would hopefully never see another vampire again (except for Severus Snape, since they'd be working at the same place). _But even then I won't seem him often, because he despises me and will be sure to avoid spending any time with me. _

Hermione quietly made her way across the Entrance Hall, ignoring the Retainers and curious vampires waiting in the hall. Deciding it was time she went exploring (there were so many vampires crowding the hall that Hermione felt that there couldn't be any anywhere else), Hermione turned and walked down a dark corridor. The fact the corridor wasn't lit had capture Hermione's interest, and she couldn't help but wonder what was down it. Most corridors were dimly lit in respect for the Retainers (and now Hermione), so a completely dark one pretty much had a "Keep Out" sign. And Hermione, being the curious Gryffindor she was, had to explore.

Hermione had reached the end of the corridor and was just about to try the last door on the left when a hand clamped down on her shoulder. Startled, Hermione spun around, pulling her wand out and pointing it in front of her. Breathing heavily, she glowered at the amused Professor Snape standing in front of her. Lowering her arm to her side, Hermione waited for Snape to speak.

"I must attend the meeting. I do not know how long I'll be; I might be gone all night," Snape smirked. Then his expression faded to a blank one and he crossed his arms. "What are you doing down this hall, you foolish girl? You aren't allowed down here." Snape gestured for Hermione to walk ahead of him, back into the Entrance Hall. Reluctantly, Hermione complied. He followed her until Hermione reached the area by the kitchen, and then moved off through the door that led to the throne room. Once Hermione was sure Snape wasn't near the door, Hermione turned around and went back the way she came.

Walking through the dark corridor, Hermione questioned her sanity. _I'm walking down a dark corridor I've never been in, in a house full of vampires. I could get lost or something could happen to me, and nobody would know for a while. _Despite that, Hermione was determined to do exactly what Snape hadn't wanted her to do, so she continued on. Down one corridor and then the next, Hermione was soon lost. A quickly muttered lumos spell banished some of the darkness. With a small gasp of surprise, Hermione raised her glowing wand higher for a better look at a tapestry she happened to be walking by.

_Is that even possible? _Hermione couldn't help but wonder as she gazed at the various sexual positions the people on the tapestry were engaged in. Hermione turned her head this way and that, still not comprehending how somebody's body could twist that way. Giving up (_it can't be possible!_); Hermione turned and moved on, paying closer attention to what was hanging from the walls. The farther down the hallway she moved, the more sexually explicit the tapestries became. More vampires appeared in them as well.

Finally reaching the end of the corridor, Hermione stared up in shock at the last one. It was the largest, featuring many men. What shocked her the most, though, was the man off to the side that bore a striking resemblance to her Potions Professor. _He's naked, as well, _Hermione noted. She flushed and bit her lip, but couldn't help but take a peek at the man's body. Hermione hadn't a clue what a good-sized male would look like, but the one on the wall certainly seemed large. Hermione swallowed and looked away. _After this summer, I'll never be able to think of Snape the same way. Certainly not after he's touched me _-- Hermione trembled in remembrance -- and now that I've seen someone who looks like him naked.

The idea of a naked Snape wasn't a disgusting one, something that bothered Hermione to no end. Determined to attempt to put what she'd just seen out of her mind, Hermione turned -- and screamed. Somebody was standing behind her, in the shadows. Two somebody's, in fact. Reacting without thinking, Hermione lifted her wand and said the first spell that came to mind.

"Petrificus totalus!" The light blue light flashed from her wand, only to be deflected by one of the men in the shadows. Hermione opened her mouth to spit out another spell when the man snarled "Lumos!" Hermione was surprised to find Snape's angry face revealed by the light. She smiled weakly at him.

"Hullo, Professor. I was just -"

"Just shooting spells at anything that moves is what you were doing. What if I were a muggle retainer? Or even worse, a muggle vampire? They would have no means of blocking your spell, and when they had gotten released they would've gutted you." Snape stepped uncomfortably close to Hermione, his face mere inches from hers. "Even worse, they could have made you _want _them to suck you dry." Snape's breath blew across Hermione's face. She blinked.

"I...I'm sorry sir. I panicked." Snape stepped back, his dark eyes still glittering angrily. He glanced behind Hermione and a slow, lusty smile spread across his face. Hermione fought not to turn red and run and managed to, although it was a near thing.

"So, Miss Granger...enjoying the tapestries? Did you like what you saw?" Snape purred. Hermione's brow furrowed as she began to feel funny. Snape's velvety voice - _definitely one of his best features, _Hermione thought -- wrapped around her, making her feel warm and tingly. She seemed unable to look away from him, to respond in any way. "What's the matter, Miss Granger? You seem...flustered." He reached up and brushed her cheek with the back of his hand. Hermione shivered from the touch and leaned forward almost imperceptibly.

"Now now, Severus. As nice as this is, we're here for a reason. Don't make the poor girl unable to think," a rough voice growled. The corner of Snape's lips twitched up in response to this voice. He stepped back from Hermione and turned back the way they had come.

"Of course, Cosimo. Do forgive me, I had forgotten myself." Snape didn't sound apologetic in the least. It didn't seem to bother the disembodied voice. Hermione squinted at the shadows, trying to make out where the voice was coming from. All she could see was an outline.

"Miss Granger," Snape snapped. Hermione stopped staring at the shadows intently, instead looking at a point just over Snape's right shoulder. "I would like you to meet my best friend, Cosimo De Luca." The man stepped out of the shadows and just barely into the ring of light that Snape's wand cast. Hermione's breath sucked in before she could stop herself.

Cosimo De Luca was not good-looking. His face was split by scars - most of them were white, but some where still pink and fresh looking. One ran diagonally across his forehead and across his eye, another across his lips, creating a white indent. There were many more, criss-crossing his skin until it was cut into sections. _Where did he get them, _Hermione wondered. His skin wasn't the extremely pale, smooth skin most of the other vampires had. Most of his skin was a dark, splotchy red. His hair was long and light brown, with pale blue eyes that looked like ice. When he grinned, his skin stretched, bringing the horrible scar into more detail. He was the first truly ugly vampire she had met so far. Privately, Hermione felt more comfortable in this man's presence than anybody else's. _At least he looks more like the monster he can be, _Hermione thought. _The others look so normal -- well, except for their lack of tan and pointy teeth -- you'd never notice anything was odd about them until they were drinking from you. _

Cosimo seemed used to reactions like Hermione's, and took no offence. His smile never faltered, his eyes never stopped shining. His gaze slid from Hermione's shocked face, down her neck, pausing at her chest and groin before sliding down her legs and feet. Then it was back up, lingering on the same places as before. Hermione struggled not to show her disgust, and seemed successful. Neither he nor Snape reacted.

"My, but you are a pretty little thing, aren't you? I wouldn't mind taking a few bites out of you," he grinned. "Not literally, since you seem new to the vampire world. Unless you would want me to."

Hermione shook her head, backing away a few steps and holding her wand tighter. Snape sent an unreadable look toward De Luca, who seemed to understand. His smile faded and he inclined his head.

"I am sorry, Miss Granger, I seem to have forgotten my manners. You may call me Cosimo, if you so wish." Turning away, he said over his shoulder, "My offer still stands. Now come, we will be late for the meeting."

Manners prompted Hermione to offer to be called Hermione in return. The last part of what Cosimo said caught Hermione's attention almost immediately. "Meeting?" Hermione asked. Snape turned and began to follow his friend, leaving Hermione no choice but to trail along. Neither man responded. Hermione huffed impatiently but fell silent. Snape seemed to be walker slower than normal. He was walking closer to Hermione than he usually did. Hermione could just smell him. _He smells of plants, dirt, male, and Hogwarts. _The last one gave her a pang of homesickness so strong, a lump formed in her throat.

"So Severus, how well do you know Miss Granger?" Cosimo asked.

"She is under my protection," Snape responded. He reached out and grabbed hold of Hermione's elbow. Cosimo nodded as if this had some bearing on his question. Hermione didn't even bother trying to figure out what they were saying. It was obvious to her they had a short conversation with double-meanings, and she knew she'd be unable to figure out what they really meant.

Hermione stayed close to Severus as they went back the way they came, flickering light radiating from the torches; through corridors, across the Entrance Hall, to the door that led to the Throne Room. As they drew closer to their destination, Hermione managed to get one question answered.

"Why am I here?"

"Your presence was requested. We have a job for you." Cosimo smiled and pulled the door open.

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**I'VE BROKEN 100 REVIEWS - THANK YOU! Thanks to every single one of you that has reviewed and continue to do so. You make this story possible -- reviews are the energy source that gets me writing. **

**This was a really hard chapter to write. I know it's short, but I've struggled so much that I don't feel I can continue any more with it. _If nobody complains, I might just update a day or two sooner..._**

**Please review!**


	8. Chapter Eight

**Disclaimer: Nothing you recognize from the Harry Potter books is mine.**

**Next week will be the last time I post until after my Christmas vacation. I thought I'd warn you in advance.**

**Thanks to all the other anonymous reviewers! **

**Thanks to _Hermy Puckle _and _Hermeres _for talking to me about my story and Snape in general. They've been a big help to me, and both are great people (and friends). Same as last chapter, this is unbeta'd.

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_Chapter Eight_

Cosimo smiled and moved to take one of the three empty seats closest to the door. The center of the throne room was full of vampires sitting around a circular table. The King and Queen sat facing the door, their faces grim and pale in the flickering light. The room was even more creepy than it had been before, with only the table lit. Everyone's head was turned toward Hermione and her Professor, waiting for them to make a move. Finally, Snape impatiently grabbed Hermione's hand and almost dragged her to the table. Snape settled in next to Cosimo, leaving Hermione to take the seat next to Apraxin. A quick glance at her was all of Apraxin's acknowledgement before staring straight ahead at the King and Queen.

Hermione sighed and settled into the chair situated between two of the most confusing men she knew. The King cleared his throat and welcomed them all in a quiet but a well carried voice. The Queen merely smirked at Hermione and smiled coquettishly at Snape. Hermione fought the urge to roll her eyes.

"Welcome, everyone. I am sorry that this call was so sudden, but we have urgent business to attend to." King Alexion said. Then he suddenly smiled. "But first, I'd like to introduce everyone to Miss Hermione Granger, who's a guest here. Hermione, these are the leaders of the Vampire clans and the high level Blues." The use of her first name caused a small ripple of surprise to sweep the clan leaders. The vampire clan leaders eyed her with more interest. Quite used to being stared at, Hermione simply turned to her former professor and raised an eyebrow. He inclined his head slightly, wordlessly conveying that he would explain later. Hermione gave a small nod in return.

"We've all been called here for a very important reason - the Black Souls have announced their decision to side with Voldemort. Of course, this comes as no surprise. However, were were startled to hear that Voldemort is planning on kidnapping some very prominent Charms and Potions masters to create weapons that would could harm us with little risk to themselves. This must not be allowed to happen. As a result, Headmaster Dumbledore has contacted certain Masters and Mistresses who would be especially useful in the Black Souls plans. They promised to take all necessary precautions."

King Alexion leaned back in his seat and swept the table with his eyes. They settled on Hermione for longer than the others before continuing on. "Preventing them from getting the information is all good and well, but we'd like to be able to harness these weapons for ourselves. After much conversation between myself and Headmaster Dumbledore, we've come to an agreement. We will receive help from the Order and its members on creating the weapons. In return, we must do our absolute best to create weapons that would be harmful only to vampires." Alexion smiled wide, showing off his very long teeth.

"So all we have to do now is think up some weapon idea's and gather some researchers. Does anybody have any ideas?" Nobody stirred. Hermione had at least one idea that should be obvious - especially to them. After all, they knew the things they had to avoid and they should be able to come up with something to stop it. Hermione didn't know whether to raise her hand or not, so she did. She rested her elbow on the table, arm bent.

"I..I have an idea." _It's a good thing vampires have excellent hearing, _Hermione thought, _because otherwise they'd never hear me. _

King Alexion gestured for Hermione to continue. "Um...well, sunlight's a major problem with vampires. If I were Voldemort, I would immediately set about creating a spell or potion to protect my vampire partners from the sun. That way, if they attack in the day and they're protected, there's no way any of you could fight." Hermione put her hand done quickly, noticing only then that her fingers were trembling.

"Do you think you'd be able to create a potion or spell that would protect us from sunlight?" Cosimo questioned. Hermione thought it over a bit.

"I haven't much experience with combining potions and spells. I would think it'd be easier to charm an object and maybe soak the object in a potion. Professor Snape would know more about that." Hermione mumbled.

"It's much more easier to charm and object and soak it in a potion. Some charms do not mix well with potions, so it would be inadvisable to start casting spells on a cauldron. I agree that an object would work best." Snape commented smoothly. Hermione breathed a sigh of relief, glad to know she had Professor Snape's agreement.

"Perhaps an amulet or necklace? It would be easy to put on and hidden. We could take a personal object from all the vampires and cast the protective spell on that. It'd be keyed to that vampire and wouldn't work for any other. It'd minmize the chance of the weapon falling into the hands of an enemy." Hermione said more confidently, switching into thinking mode.

"Brilliant, Hermione, absolutely brilliant. I see Severus hadn't been exaggerating when he said you were intelligent." Alexion's eyes twinkled in an eerily similar way. Hermione could feel her face flush and snuck a glance at Snape. She caught him in mid-eye roll and felt more than a little disappointed. _If I'm not attractive, at least he could think I was intelligent. _

"Also, we need cures and whatnot for any weapons they may come up with. I suppose we shall have to do our best with that, since we don't know what their weapons will be. We already heal fast, we just need to come up with something to speed things along." A man sitting in shadows commented, his accent making it hard to understand.

"Yes, Dmitri is correct. Can anybody think of anything else?" King Alexion asked. There were several more seconds of silence before Alexion sighed. "Alright then. If anybody comes up with something else, tell me and I'll relay the message. So who's to be our researchers?"

"With all due respect, sir, I don't think it can be any of the Blues. We need to be out there patrolling, making sure they aren't unnecessarily harming humans or preparing to attack us." Apraxin spoke up. His accented voice rang throughout the room, sounding confident and leader-like.

"Of course, my boy. I had forgotten." Alexion nodded and turned to look at Hermione. "My dear, I must confess that when I first came up with this idea, I had hoped you would become one of the researchers." Hermione wasn't too surprised - just as her stubbornness was famous, so was her intelligence.

"Of course I'll help, but I know I can't do it alone. At the very least I'll need Professor Snape has a reference." Hermione squeaked. While she was happy with the idea of research, she didn't want to drag her ex-professor into it unwillingly. _I really don't want to deal with the snarling that would come with it, _Hermione thought.

"Severus?" Alexion spoke. His tone was questioning, but Hermione knew he was actually ordering.

"I would be more than happy to contribute this noble product, my lord." Severus said silkily. Hermione flinched, wondering if he was angry. When she dared to look at him again, she noted that he did not look angry. Catching her staring at him, Professor Snape merely raised and eyebrow. Hermione snapped to attention.

"Alright, so our researchers shall be Severus, Hermione, and Cosimo. Any objections?" Again, nobody spoke up. _Not the most loquacious bunch, _Hermione thought dryly. A sudden thought had Hermione's hand up in the air before she could think.

"Sir? Um, my lord?" Hermione said. Alexion smiled kindly at her.

"Dear Hermione, please call me Alexion. If you feel that you absolutely must call me by my title, King Alexion will do."

"Er, right. King Alexion, I don't know how long this will take. I'll work on it everyday, but I just...I haven't done anything like this before. I might not even find anything..." Hermione trailed off.

"That is why we'll be working with you, Hermione." Cosimo said. He smiled, his teeth and scars making his visage one hard to look at without feeling fearful. Hermione nodded, forcing herself not to turn away. She even managed a small smile back, although not a big one. A hiss drew her attention away from Cosimo to Professor Snape. He was clutching his left arm, his face twisted with pain and disgust.

"I am being called. I must leave right away." Professor Snape stood up so fast his chair fell backwards. With a flap of his robes, he was out the door. Hermione's mouth opened, ready to call out and beg her teacher to be careful and come back safely. _Cruel bastard or no, he's the most familiar man here. _Hermione immediately felt ashamed and added what she couldn't bring herself to admit before. _I want him to come back for more reasons that that. I...enjoy his company. When he isn't making negative comments about me, that is. _

Hermione was so into her thoughts that she didn't hear King Alexion call the meeting to a close. She didn't hear chairs scrape against the floor as the vampires left, or the King having a quick word with Alexion. The feeling of being touched startled her from her thoughts. She looked around frantically, noting that everyone was gone and the place was pretty much completely dark. Only two torches lit the large room. She swallowed and moved her head in the direction she sensed the person touching her was.

"Hermione, be calm." Apraxin's calm voice spoke from in front of her. "I will lead you back up to the main floor, but you must do as I tell you." Hermione nodded, too scared to speak up. _I'm alone in the dark with a vampire, about to climb steep stares that I would most assuredly die if I fell from. _Hermione allowed herself to be pulled up from her chair and steered toward what she assumed was the door.

The click of the door closing behind her startled her already skittish mind. Hermione stumbled forward and fell into the back of Apraxin. Hermione squeezed her eyes shut and waited for the soft landing - after all, she would be using Apraxin as a cushion. After several seconds of waiting, she opened one eye and then the other.

"Alright there, Hermione?" Apraxin sounded amused and patient. Hermione squeaked out a yes and stepped back from Apraxin's embrace. "Grab the back of my cloak. Be sure to test the ground ahead of you to make sure there's something there." Apraxin turned, guiding one of Hermione's hands to the back of his cloak. Then he started up the stairs, moving at a comfortably slow pace. Hermione's breathing eventually evened out, and she no longer felt panicked and afraid at the idea of being alone in the dark with a blood sucking fiend.

So relaxed was Hermione that she lost track of the time, and was surprised to find they had reached the top in what seemed to be moments. She was extremely happy to be in the light again, and just stood and soaked it up.

"I will walk you to your room." Apraxin stated. Hermione shook her head and turned toward the front doors.

"I want to wait for the professor." Hermione said softly. Apraxin sighed - _Odd how they sigh and their chests move when they don't breathe _- and gestured toward the area where the rooms were.

"Severus will most likely report to Dumbledore before he even thinks about coming here. Since revels last most of the night, chances are he won't have enough time to get here before it's light out. You'll be wasting your time." Apraxin explained. Hermione conceded his point and allowed him to escourt her to her room. Outside her doorway, Hermione turned and thanked Apraxin.

"Any time." Apraxin smiled boyishly. For once the sight wasn't scary at all, and Hermione could clearly see the young, care free man that Apraxin used to be. "Oh, and before I forget - I believe you should ask Professor Snape for Occlumency lessons. You never know if you're going to need them or not, and you might as well take advantage of having an Occlumens for a research partner."

"I'll be sure to bring it up with him." Hermione yawned. She thought longingly of the cool sheets that covered her bed. "Goodnight Apraxin. Or good morning - whichever is the right one." Hermione yawned again and smiled at Apraxin's whispered goodnight. He spun around and walked quickly away and was soon out of sight. Hermione opened her door and didn't even bother changing out of her clothes before collapsing on the bed, asleep.

_All vampires walk so fast, _Hermione thought before falling into a deep sleep.

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The next morning dawned grey and dreary. Hermione had to force herself out of bed and into her clothes. She half-heartedly combed her hair, and opened the door to find Apraxin standing before her. He was dressed as immaculately as ever in a beautiful red robe.

"Hello, Apraxin." Hermione murmured. He inclined his head in greeting and gesture for her to precede him. Hermione did so, wondering what he was doing in visiting her at the beginning of the night. He never visited her this early, instead preferring to meet her where ever the vampire gather was going to be. Now he walked beside her silently, saying nothing, seemingly content to be. Hermione's curiousity increased with every step they took, and finally she had to know.

"What are you doing out so early?" Hermione asked. Apraxin's lips twitched up in a smile. _He knew I was going to ask -- he was waiting on purpose! _Hermione thought. She didn't have the energy to be angry that morning, so she settled for mildly offended.

"Hermione, I know you have some questions from last night. I'm here for you to ask them." Apraxin responded. _Professor Snape must not be back yet, _Hermione thought, _otherwise he'd be the one answering my questions. _

"Alright then. Um," Hermione said. She went over the night before and remembered one thing she was going to ask the Professor. "Why was everyone so shocked when the King used my first name?"

"You're a human, albeit a guest. Showing familiarity means that he likes you and you're not to be messed with. It shows great favor, meaning there would be quite harsh consequences if anybody was to harm you. It's odd for a human to have that kind of honor." Apraxin explained. He stared off into the distance a moment before turning back to Hermione.

"Oh, I see. That makes sense, I suppose."

Apraxin nodded, looking unsure. Then his pale face smoothed out in to a blank slate. Hermione raised her eyebrows at his weird behavior but waited for him to speak; hanging around Severus Snape had taught her some patience.

"Hermione, I would be most obliged if you would use my given name." He said haltingly. Hermione looked at him in surprise. Looking like a mouse in the claws of a cat, Apraxin backed away. His eyes were wide, and he spun around and almost ran down the corridor, back the way they came.

"Goodbye...Maksim!" Hermione called out. Apraxin slowed but didn't stop as he turned a corner. _That was odd. _Hermione couldn't help but feel guilty. _I wonder if it was something I said or did? I'll have to ask Quigley...oh, darn. I don't see him anymore. _Caught up in her deliberations of who to ask, Hermione paid no mind to the vampires having sex on the stairs. She spared them only a glance before going over to the Front Entrance.

"Hermione!" One of the vampires called. After being introduced to so many, she couldn't quite keep them straight. Rather than offending the vampires, this seemed to amuse them. They'd often introduce themselves as somebody else. Hermione could at least remember whether the person was dark haired or light, so sometimes she could tell when they were lying. Still, the vampires liked their games, and Hermione never really got angry. _As long as they're happy, I can live with the jokes at my expense. _

Then Hermione spotted Cosimo in a corner of the room watching her. Hermione hesitated before making her way over to him. Half hidden in shadows, his eyes seemed to glow eerily. Hermione approached cautiously, not knowing what his reaction to her presence would be.

"Hello, Cosimo." She called. He smiled in response, his scarred face twisting. His long light brown hair was pulled back half way, an oddly feminine thing to do, in Hermione's opinion. _His name kind of takes fear of the man himself away. Cosimo just isn't a name that inspires fear. Still, his face his...not pleasant. _

"Where's the professor?"

"Ah, he is waiting for us in the library. He sent me out to wait for you. He seems to think I will be his errand boy for the duration of our research project." Cosimo said cheerfully. He seemed unbothered by being ordered about. He winked down at Hermione and tucked Hermione's hand into the cook of his elbow. "I didn't mind so much, since I would be waiting for a good looking young woman." Hermione didn't want to, but she couldn't help but blush. She looked down at the floor and mumbled a thank you.

Cosimo's hand came into view, touching her chin and forcing her to look up. He stared down at Hermione seriously, the smile gone from his lips and his cheerful tone gone from his voice.

"My dear, has Severus said something to you about your apperance?" At Hermione's nod, Cosimo side and dropped his hand. "Severus is a complex man, as cliche as that may sound. I've known him for a long time, however, so I know him better than most. Whatever he said must have been said out of frustration or shock. When Severus feels either of those emotions, he reacts by putting a shield up around himself and using harsh words to make people to back off."

"He had nothing to be shocked about. We were just dancing!" Hermione snapped. She jerked her hand away from Cosimo and folded her arms around her body. Her lips tightened and her eyes stung with tears. _I don't care for silly, immature little girls who aren't even pretty..._His words echoed. _Why do I care anyway, if he finds me attractive? _Hermione wondered.

"Ah, then that's it. He was feeling attraction, or possibly even lust, for an ex-student. It must've shocked the old sour puss." Cosimo laughed. Hermione lifted her head, hope filling her heart.

"Do you really think so?" Hermione was chargined to hear hope color her tone. Cosimo studied the girl a bit before another smile, a secretive one, slid across his face.

"I know so. Oh dear, we're late. Severus will start to bitch if we don't hurry." Cosimo sped up, leaving Hermione panting after him. "I would normally go out of my way to antagonize Severus. However, he might take it out on you if I leave the room, and that will simply not do." Cosimo called out. Hermione shook her head. _He is one cheerful vampire. _Hermione watched the vampire wiggle his hips at a passing female vampire. The woman giggled and blew Cosimo a kiss, which he pretended to catch. _Maybe he's gay? _

A male vampire passed, saying something to Cosimo as he walked past. Cosimo's good cheer vanished instantly. He hissed and turned around to follow the vampire. As he passed Hermione, he said, "Go to the library and tell Severus I've been detained." His voice was dark with hate. Cosimo hurried off, lips curled back to expose his teeth. Startled at the sudden change, Hermione quickly made her way to the library. She flung open the doors and stumbled in, stopping short when she caught sight of her former professor.

Severus Snape lounged on the couch before a fire, one eyebrow raised. In one pale, graceful hand he was holding a tome, which he sat down at her entrance. Hermione settled into a chair on the side of the couch next to Professor Snape's head. Not wasting any time, she relayed Cosimo's message.

"Ah, it must've been Tomas. I wonder what he said," Severus mused. "I'll have to ask him when he returns."

Hermione furrowed her brow. "It had to of been bad. Cosimo looked ready to kill."

Professor Snape shook his head. "That doesn't mean anything. Cosimo is notoriously short-tempered, especially when it comes to friends and those he cares about."

Setting his book aside, Professor Snape stood up and made his way over to one section of the enormous library. He turned around when he realized Hermione hadn't followed and scowled. Eyes widening, Hermione jumped to her feet and moved to stand next to him.

"Here are the books you will start with, Miss Granger..."

* * *

Severus was looking forward to talking to Cosimo later. He wanted to know what Tomas said. Judging from Hermione's description of Cosimo's reaction, it could've been anything. A glance at Miss Granger showed the girl curled up in the chair, devouring the book eagerly and not taking notes. Severus snorted. _How like Miss Granger to get caught up in a book and forget everything else. _Suddenly Severus remembered the explanation he owed his former pupil.

"Miss Granger, I believe it is time to explain to you the others reaction to hearing your first name come from the King's lips. He -" Severus began to explain, only to be interrupted by Granger.

"It's alright, professor. Maksim explained everything." She smiled at him before returning to her book. Severus' eyes narrowed.

"Getting very familiar, are we?" He purred. Hermione flushed and raised her chin defiantly.

"He gave me permission to use his given name, sir."

"I see." Severus smirked. Inside, he fumed. _Why is the girl using Apraxin's first name? They haven't even spent much time with each other. I've spent more time with her than he has! _Severus' lips tightened into a thin red line, and his eyes flashed. _She is mine! I am her protector. Dumbledore would have my head if he knew how close she was getting to these animals! _

It never occured to Severus that his illogical thoughts were due to jealousy rather than fear of loosing his head.

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**Severus is beginning to get possessive; we'll be seeing more of his lust. Some have asked for more romance - I think the next chapter will (sort-of??) meet that.**

**xlillypotterx has recommended my story in her profile! This is the first time I've ever seen somebody do that, so thank you, Megan. :D**

**Please review - writing this is quite difficult, and reading them gets me in the mood to write (and they make me happy)!**


	9. Chapter Nine

**Disclaimer: Not mine, I'm just playing with them.**

**I'm not completely satisfied with this chapter, but I thought I'd post it anyway. It's just minor things, anway.**

**WARNING: THERE IS SOME SEXUAL CONTENT IN THIS CHAPTER! Heed the bolded warnings!!! The warning's might disrupte the flow of the story, but they're necessary.

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_Chapter Nine_

"Sorry I'm late." Cosimo swept in, a smile already in place. He had three drops of blood on his cheek. Hermione was startled to realize that blood was beginning to loose it's hold on her - she no longer cringed when she saw some, imagining what had been done to put it there. The notion that she was adjusting to the Vampires and their way of life was a sobering one.

"You have some blood on your left cheek." Hermione said as Cosimo settled in the chair on the other side of the couch. He wiped at this cheek, smearing the blood rather than wiping it off. Hermione fought the urge to roll her eyes - while a little used to the disgusting things that went on around here, she was still afraid of the vampires themselves. She didn't want to treat them the same way she treated Harry and Ron; vampires were more volatile.

Professor Snape sighed and tossed a black handkerchief to Cosimo, who caught it and rubbed at his cheek. He looked at Hermione and Severus for confirmation that the blood was gone before tossing the handkerchief back to the Professor and settling in to read. Hermione returned her attention to the book.

"Severus," She heard Cosimo whisper. Hermione fought back a smile. _He can't really believe that if he whispers, I won't hear it, _Hermione thought. "Severus, Tina was asking about you. She wanted to know if you'd visit her tonight, before the night is out." Professor Snape glared at Cosimo. Then he snuck at glance at Hermione before hissing back.

"Thank you for telling me, Cosimo. Next time do it where there isn't an audience."

Cosimo nodded. "She wants to know right away, Severus. She said if you weren't going to visit, then she'll call on somebody else." With a growl, Severus carefully set his book aside and stalked out through the doors. The second he left the room, the tension and anger seemed to clear the air. Cosimo grinned at Hermione, who was staring wide eyed at him.

_Professor Snape? And...and some woman named Tina? _Hermione couldn't wrap her mind around the concept of her Professor and a woman. _Not that he isn't attractive enough to get woman, but...I wonder what she looks like? Is she pretty? _Hermione bit her lip. _I wonder if she's everything I'm not? _

"Severus prefers unattached sex. Most woman seem to enjoy that, and he has quite the reputation for pleasing woman. Many have tried to get him to feel something for them, but to no avail. He says love is just a foolish emotion that gets people into trouble." Cosimo commented out of nowhere. Hermione looked back at her book.

"I think that one day, he'll find someone he'll fall in love with. I can only hope that person, that woman, doesn't break his heart." Cosimo said softly, his eyes on Hermione. Hermione felt her cheeks and neck flush pink. She opened her mouth to reply when the doors flung open. Professor Snape stomped in, his face blank. His eyes were anything but blank - they were dark and glittering. Hermione could _feel _his anger pushing at her. He wasn't just angry - he was livid.

"Do you know what that - that bitch just commanded me?" He raged. He whipped out his wand and blasted one of the lamps. It shattered, pieces flying every which way. Hermione couldn't move fast enough to block the glass, and could only yelp as some pieces scraped her face. Cosimo was on his feet and over to her before she had time to raise her hand and touch her face.

"Hermione, are you alright?" He gently moved her hands away from her face, examining the cuts intently. He wiped away some of the blood with his thumb, before bringing it up to his mouth and licking it.

"The cuts aren't too deep -- you'll be fine." Cosimo's eyes were bright, and the tips of his teeth were peeking out from beneath his upper lip. Cosimo stared at her for a bit before leaning in and leaking at her cuts. Surprised, Hermione squeaked. Cosimo didn't stop, even when Hermione attepted to push him away. Hermione closed her eyes and resigned herself to being licked like it was from a dog. Suddenly Cosimo wasn't there anymore, and Hermione opened her eyes to see her former Professor's face inches from her own. He leaned in and licked the cut next to her mouth with the tip of his tongue. Hermione shivered.

"Professor..." She whimpered. Professor Snape blinked, coming back to himself. He straightened and moved to stand away from her and next to Cosimo.

"I apologize, Miss Granger. Sometimes I can not help myself...instincts are hard to overcome." Hermione nodded, fighting hysterical laughter. _Hello Harry, how was your summer? Mine was quite interesting - I spent it with vampires. Professor Snape and his best friend licked some cuts of mine. I have to say I didn't mind when Professor Snape's tongue was touching my face. _

"It's fine. I understand."

Professor Snape turned and paced the length of the room, his anger coming back quickly. Cosimo finally stopped staring at Hermione like she was a tasty morsel.

"Severus, what's going on?" Cosimo asked gently. Professor Snape turned around so quickly his robes snapped. He clenched his fist and snarled.

"The _lovely _queen has demanded that I sever all ties with the woman I entertain. Apperantly she wishes to enjoy me for herself."

"Severus, it's the queen. You have to obey her." Cosimo tried to reason.

"I think I should have a say in who I sleep with, Cosimo. I am not honored to be her latest toy. I have no wish to see her naked, or her see me. I refuse to follow her orders." Snape continued to pace restlessly. He stopped in front of the doors and shoved them open. "I must leave. I am in no state of mind to do research."

Nobody spoke as the door clicked shut. In the distance, thunder sounded. Hermione looked at Cosimo, who was staring at the door.

"I am very interested to see how this turns out. The party tonight will be interesting."

"Party? Tonight?" Hermione asked. Hermione knew that was one, she just couldn't remember when it was. Cosimo nodded.

"Yes, some vampires from another part of the world have finally arrived. They requested it be a informal affair, so there's no need to dress up. Since Severus is going to disobey the Queen's orders, things are going to get very dramatic around here. The Queen does not like to be disobeyed at all. I believe we should stop for the night and hang out in our rooms until the party. I will see you later, Hermione."

Then he was gone, leaving Hermione curled up in the chair. She bookmarked her place and set the book aside. _I wish I could hang out in my rooms all night._

Then she was gone from the room too.

* * *

Hermione sighed and scanned the room, noting where the few vampires she knew were at; the only one she couldn't seem to locate was Snape. While Hermione could understand why Snape was avoiding her company, she rather hoped that Maksim or Cosimo would at least stick around beyond a quick hello. That wasn't the case, however, and so Hermione stood by herself at the back of the room.

The King and Queen were moving about the dance floor, deep in conversation with one another. Vampires frequently swung into Hermione's line of vision, blocking her view of them. Maksim was speaking with a female Blue, and Cosimo had a giggly young woman of about twenty-five sitting on his lap. He showed no signs of wishing to move. Hermione sighed and stared out at the dance floor, wishing she could be hanging out with the Retainers in the kitchen. _At least they'd talk to me, _Hermione thought grumpily.

Suddenly the hairs on the back of her neck stood up straight. Hermione knew, with every fiber of her being, that somebody was behind her. Hermione went still, forcing herself not to turn around and draw her wand. Hermione held her breath for as long as she could before releasing it and sucking in another lung full. Hermione jumped and attempted to move away as strong arms encircled her body and pressed her close. The smell of Potions and spices wafted over her, and Hermione felt herself relaxing a little bit. _It's only Professor Snape, _Hermione thought in relief. She attempted to move away again, to confront him about why he was holding her like that, but the arms refused to release her. In fact, they started to drag her backwards, into the shadows cast by the dais next to them.

**Warning!! Warning!!**

"Professor -" Hermione began, only to be stopped by a long, pale finger pressed against her lips. The finger lingered for a bit before sliding down her chin and neck to rest between her breasts. Hermione quivered against her former professor's cool body; tension formed a knot in her lower belly. The hand that was attached to the finger situated in the middle of her chest slipped to the right, cupping her breasts and sporadically massaging and gently squeezing; a flick to the nipple, and then back to massaging. Hermione's breath left her in a whoosh, and her knees became dangerously weak.

The other hand had slid down to her hips and pressed. This brought her body even closer to the Potions Masters, and suddenly Hermione could feel _it _poking her lower back. She was breathing heavily by now, and a small whimper was escaping from between her lips. The body behind her vibrated from the pleased chuckle the dour man made. He began to grind against Hermione, and suddenly Hermione was grateful for the arms holding her. Without them, her knees would give out and she'd fall to the floor. The whimpers transformed into soft moans, and Hermione moved her hands behind her to clutch the Potions Masters clothes. Hermione's head fell back to rest against the man's shoulder. The man leaned his head forward and alternately nibbled and sucked on her neck.

"You like that, don't you?" Professor Snape whispered huskily into her ear. Hermione shivered and gave a louder moan. The pulsing between her legs that had started when her former professor turned his attentions to her neck became more pronounced. She pressed herself against Professor Snape as hard as she could, wanting more contacting, wanting something that she couldn't name. Dimly, she heard the professor moan, and felt her center pulse even more. Professor Snape's hand drifted away from Hermione's breast, down towards her hips. Hermione gave a small groan of protest, which was quickly turned into another moan of appreciation as her former professor's hand slid under her shirt and back up to her breast. He pushed aside her bra and returned to his former occupation of playing with her breast. Hermione's legs did give out at that point, forcing Professor Snape to hold her up on his own. He seemed completely at ease doing so.

By now Hermione's thoughts were a jumbled mess. She gave up attempting to think and gave herself over to her feelings. She wiggled and managed to get enough space between them to turn around and press the front of her body against her professor's. She looked up at him through lidded eyes, her lips parted and her clothes rumpled.

"Professor," Hermione murmured. She slid her one hand down to cup her Potions Master. Her eyes widened in surprise at the size, but Professor Snape soon distracted her from her surprise and worry by scooping her up. Hermione gave a small squeak of surprise and wrapped her legs around her Professor. The feeling of him pressed up against her center made her breath catch in her throat. Still, it didn't seem completely right. _I want...I want..._Hermione thought, but still couldn't put into words exactly what it was she wanted.

Professor Snape swung around and moved deeper into the shadows. He pressed the young woman against the wall, and pressed his body against hers. He rubbed against her and moan, incoherently mumbling something. Hermione's breathing had increased, and she began to feel her hands and feet tingle. Impatiently, the professor stepped away to pull her skirt up. Hermione felt the cold air brush against her upper thighs and almost gasped in surprise and embarassment. However, the professor was pressed against her again before she could make any noise.

Suddenly Professor Snape went still. His head snapped up and he twisted around to search the crowd. Finding whatever it was that had caught his attention, he moved to leave in one fluid movement. He stepped away from Hermione and turned to go; without his support to hold her up, Hermione's shaky legs gave out and she crumpled to the floor.

**End Warning!! **

"Thank you, Miss Granger, for making this dull party entertaining." With that, he turned and gracefully walked off, leaving Hermione staring at him in bewilderment. He was immediately engaged in conversation with a man who appeared to of been looking for him; they disappeared into the crowd. _I wish I could talk to somebody about what happened, _Hermione thought a little while later. She was innocent, but not naive. She understood what had just happened, but she didn't know if men typically stalked off after an encounter such as the one her and her Professor had. However, in all those cheesy romance novels Lavander was fond of forcing people to read, the men usually didn't do that.

_But Professor Snape isn't like any other man I've ever known, _Hermione thought. She'd always thought herself ready to have sex, but how was one to do so when surrounded by immature boys? Resolving to think about it later - in the middle of a party wasn't the place for thinking about sex, even if it was a vampire party - she glanced around before casting a quick cleaning spell up her skirt. Feeling slightly less disheveled (but no less tired), Hermione patted her into a semblance of order and stepped cautiously out of the shadows. Professor Snape was nowhere in the room, the young woman concluded after scanning the room. Noticing Maksim was still talking with the same group of people, Hermione made her way over to him.

Cosimo was nowhere to be found either.

Hermione moved to stand next to Maksim and smiled when he gave her a nod of greeting. After the cursory introductions were made, Hermione was content to simply listen to the people talk. Nearly everyone in the circle was a Blue.

"It's hard work, being a Blue." One female vampire told her. Hermione couldn't quite remember her name. "You have to be constantly on guard, and one mistake could mean death." Hermione nodded, eyes wide in awe. The Blues seemed to enjoy her reaction and shared various near-death experiences. Hermione began to wish more and more that she could go with them. _To be away from the dark mansion_! _Why can't I go? Professor Snape doesn't seem to care what I do, and Dumbledore's not around to say no. _

"Do you think that I could go with you sometime?" Hermione asked impulsively. The Blues stopped their conversations and regarded the girl with varying degrees of shock. Hermione regreted speaking quickly and with so little forethought. She really did want to go, though.

"Of course not! If something happened to you..." One said.

"Nothing will! I'll stay away from the fights and hide. They'll be so busy fighting you that they won't notice I'm around. Besides, I'm not helpless." Hermione said, brandishing her wand.

"I still don't think it's a good idea," The one from before said.

"And for good reason." Snape's voice spoke from behind Hermione. She turned to glare at the man, her lips pursing with aggravation.

"You don't much seem to care what happens to be besides protecting your own hide, sir. Besides, I'm an adult now, and I can make my own decisions." She turned away from Snape, wordlessly dismissing him. Suddenly the world tilted -- Snape had stalked forward and flung her over his shoulder.

"You aren't going anywhere, you stupid girl. Do you know what Dumbledore would say if you got injured? He'd blame the vampires for not protecting you, and that could ruin the alliance." Snape hissed as he weaved in and out of the crowd.

"I'll write a letter to him myself, saying that I wanted to go and nobody could stop me. Put me down, you idiot!" Hermione growled. People stopped their activities as Snape stalked past with a furious young woman over his shoulder. He ignored her and threw open the doors, stopping only when he hears the King's voice.

"Severus, what is going on here?" The King demanded.

"The foolish girl wishes to put her life and this alliance in danger." Snape snarled. Hermione elbowed the back of Snape's head. It was stupid to do so - like tickling a sleeping dragon - but she wanted to physically show her displeasure. The King stifled a chuckle, knowing without visuallying seeing that the young man - for in his eyes Snape was still quite young - would have a murderous expression.

"Why not let her go, if she signs a contract saying it was with her own free will?" The King asked. "I thinking getting away from Shadowland would be good for her. Besides, the Blues will be sure to take care of her. If you're really worried, go yourself, Severus. You're a magnificent fighter, if I recall correctly." Snape growled in response and none-to-gently set Hermione on the floor.

"Fine, the girl shall go. But when this ends in blood, do not say I didn't warn you." With that grim warning, Snape silently walked away, the flickering torches making him disappear in shadows and reappear.

"So you're not going, Severus?" The King called out. Snape didn't respond, nor did he slow down. He simply turned the corner and disappeared. The King smiled at Hermione's worried expression.

"Will he -" Hermione began to ask.

"Be furious with you for long? Probably. I wouldn't worry too much, however. I believe he's just worried for your welfare." The King commented. Hermione snorted in disbelief. "The Blues will take good care of you, Hermione. Never fear." He added. Hermione smiled and nodded. Now that she knew she was going, she was beginning to get nervous. "The vampire world is a world of freedom - do what you want, when you want. If it is your wish to go with the Blues, then so be it. We will need to take some necessary precautions though. Come, we need to inform the Blues you're going with them."

The two re-entered the ball room, and the old, giant doors swung shut with a resounding slam.

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**Hermione's need for adventure is rearing its head. Silly girl...Note: Shadowland is the name of the mansion.**

**I will post one more chapter, and then none for the next two weeks. Sorry, but I won't be home. Oh, and everything has been unbeta'd so far. I will replace the chapters with the beta'd version eventually. I think I might've already said this, but I refuse to pressure my beta into hurrying for me. Either deal with the mistakes (I hope there aren't too many), or I could take longer to update.**

** _Thanks to awnyainaheartbeat! _**


	10. Chapter Ten

**I know some people reviewed, and I'm not sure I've responded to everybody's. I want to say thank you to all who read and reviewed, but didn't get a reply.**

**I HATE THIS CHAPTER!! It sucks, and I can't think of anything to make it better. **

**UNBETA'D!!!

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_Chapter Ten_

Hermione wrapped her cloak more securely around her. Her hair blew in the night wind, and she brushed it back impatiently. The vampire that stood next to her - _Stefan, _Hermione recalled - seemed unbothered by the cold air. He remained completely still in the shadows of the tree, and if Hermione hadn't seen him disappear into the shadows, she'd never of known he was there. Shivering, Hermione turned her attention away from her personal guard and back to the Blues silently making their way through the woods.

The King had insisted that Hermione stay a safe distance away from the fighting, that she has an invisibility and notice-me-not spell cast on her. He was taking no chances where her safety was concerned, and made it quite clear that she had to deal with the precautions or not go at all. Hermione knew this was all for her own good - and truth be told, she was rather relieved. She wanted to go - but she wasn't stupid enough to think that she'd be completely safe. Vampires were unpredictable, and who knows what would happen to her if she didn't have protection?

Sudden movement from the right caught Hermione's eye. She turned her head to peer into the darkness. Glancing back where she last saw the vampires, Hermione saw no one. It was almost as if they'd disappeared completely. Returning her attention to the general area she'd seen the flicker of movement, Hermione watched as a dark shape slid from shadow to shadow. It was too dark for her eyes to make out what it was, but the hiss of anger coming from behind her let her know that the vampire wasn't similarily limited.

Hermione opened her mouth to ask what was wrong, only to snap it shut when she realized it would direct attention she apperantly didn't want - at least, judging by the Stefan's reaction. A cool hand wrapped around her wrist pulled her gently but firmly into the shadows. She was pressed against the tree. Stefan moved to stand in front of her, turned sideways so he'd be facing her while being able to watch the shadow simultaneously.

"Stay here, and don't move no matter what you see. If you're found, scream as loud as you can." With that the short man slipped away silently. Hermione watched him go, feeling waves of fear pulse through her. She didn't know what that shadow was, but knew she didn't want to meet up with it, whatever it was.

The sudden explosion of sound - of men yelling and the clang of metal on metal - startled Hermione badly enough she jumped. Landing on a root, Hermione landed awkwardly and began to fall. Waving her arms, Hermione managed to fall into the tree rather than forward, face first on the ground. Hermione's vision swam as her head smacked the tree behind her. Raising a hand to her head, she closed her eyes and gently laid her head against the tree. After some time, Hermione cautiously opened one eye. Vision fine, Hermione opened the other eye. The sound of a fight continued to come from up head, in the small clearing that the vampires had been moving through only moments before.

Fidgeting and re-thinking what she was considering doing, Hermione finally came to a decision: she'd sneak down there and see if she could help. After all, she was invisible and spelled to be unnoticable. Walking as silently as possible, Hermione made her way forward. Sticking close to the trees, Hermione peeked around one particularily large oak tree. Hermione could see the Blues fighting against other vampires - presumably the Deathbringers.

Hermione had fought before - in the Department of Mysteries and the Battle For Hogwarts. But never had she seen such thirst for blood, and such enjoyment of inflicing pain on others. Even the vampires she'd come from Shadowland with seemed to enjoy hacking their opponent to pieces. Unsure whether she should interfere or not, Hermione simply watched from her position half-way behind the tree.

Hermione was rooted to the spot at the site of all the vampires in the clearing, and the way they were fighting. Stefan was using impressive sword techniques to take down one enemy after another. It wasn't the flashy type of sword play that you see in the movies - no backflipping off trees for example - but it was interesting to watch nevertheless. One of the female Blues was caught up in fighting two of the Deathbringers and didn't notice a third sneaking up behind her. Hermione knew she had to do something, but what?

Glancing around frantically, Hermione noticed a branch large enough to be wielded as a weapon. Picking it up, Hermione headed back the way she came before turning in the direction of the battle. Coming around behind the vampire slowly advancing on the female Blue, Hermione raised the branch high above her head and swung it down. The sound of the branch hitting the vampires head - the crunch of the skull caving in - would haunt Hermione for the rest of her life. Dropping the branch, Hermione raised a shaking hand before her face. Her lips started to tremble too and her eyes started to blur. _I've killed someone! _Hermione thought.

She turned and raced back to the tree she'd been standing at. Crouching down, she tucked her hands in her lap and rocked. Hermione didn't think about the fact that the vampire was going to kill one of the Blues, or that what she had killed had been a monster. She could only picture the site of the branch sinking into the human-looking head.

At two battles she had been engaged in, Hermione had never cast a spell worse than a _petrificus totalus_. She'd certainly never killed anybody. The knowledge one has taken a life is a heavy one, and Hermione wasn't prepared to deal with the storm of emotion that came with the act.

Hermione was much too distracted to notice the person heading toward her. So it was quite the shock to her when she was hit straight on. Hermione fell back on to her arse, wincing in pain as her eye began to throb. Suddenly she was grabbed by her hair and hauled up to her feet. Screeching, Hermione lashed out. Her finger nails dug into cool skin, causing the hand gripping her hair to tighten. Whoever was holding her yanked her along as they turned to move away from the fight. Hermione twisted and turned, dragging her feet in the ground and yelling for all she was worth. _But there's no wood, _Hermione mocked herself, echoing her words from her first year at Hogwarts. Pulling out her wand, Hermione cast the cutting curse, Ron's words - _Are you a witch or not? _- playing in her head.

The man - for that's what it looked like: a big, bulky man - jerked and stumbled. Regaining their footing, he turned to Hermione and hissed the way vampires do. Hermione could clearly make out his faintly glowing eyes, and his sharp teeth. Hermione suddenly felt cold with fear. _I just hexed a vampire! _All the books Hermione had ever read had two pieces of advice: avoid vampires completely, and when that failed - do not ever hex them. The Killing curse was ineffective since they were already dead, and they moved too fast for most to hit them with a stunner. Lumos was artificial light, and everything else was pretty much useless unless one hit the heart. Terrified, Hermione did the only thing she could think of.

She ran.

Through her terror, however, Hermione was doing what she did best: thinking. Hermione didn't expect to get far, but she hoped she'd get close enough to the clearing to scream and distract at least one Blue from the fight. The feeling of being lifted off her feet by her shirt let her know she didn't succeed. With a roar, the vampire tossed her to the right. Hermione slammed into the tree, the pain in her head roaring to life. Hermione felt something in her arm crack, and a wash of pain ran over her arm. The breath knocked out of her, the only thing Hermione could do was lay on the ground and wait to die.

Closing her eyes, Hermione said goodbye to every person she cared about, ending with Snape. She hadn't meant to say goodbye to him, but Hermione knew she wanted to say goodbye to him, more than anyone besides her parents. That finished, Hermione relaxed and allowed herself to begin slipping in to unconciousness. Just before she went under, Hermione felt fingers on her face.

* * *

"Hermione..."

Opening her eyes, Hermione's vision was filled with Apraxin's worried face. He was leaning close, his breath moving the strands of hair which lay across her face. Blinking, Hermione started to use her right hand to push herself into a sitting position. Crying out, she jerked her arm up and held it against her body. Breathing heavily through her nose, Hermione looked up.

"How...what happened?" Hermione asked. Her head still ached, and her arm was now throbbing with pain. Carefully, Hermione shifted so she was on her knees and shakily got to her feet. Her arm once again curled around her, her head throbbing, and now her back screaming out in pain, Hermione felt quite willing to become unconcious again. Maksim moved forward and gripped her uninjured arm gently. He began to steer her away from the direction the clearing was in. Hermione glanced back and nearly fell over when she caught site of what was behind her.

Blood. And lots of it. It was all over the tree's and plants, and pooled on the ground. A gasp escaped from Hermione's lips. There were piles of what looked like dirt from this distance, but was actually what Hermione knew to be dust. She met Maksim's eyes and wasn't surprised to find a light in there of one who has enjoyed himself. His eyes almost seemed to say, _this is who I am. Deal with it. _Fear caused Hermione's stomach to clench and bile to rise in her throat. Fighting it down, she focussed on what Maksim was saying.

"They had information we needed. Vampires can survive a long time with flesh wounds, as long as the heart is left alone." Maksim smirked. "And we bleed as humans do. It took a long time before we were finished with them." Turning his back on the clearing, Maksim pulled Hermione along with him. Tired and in pain, Hermione allowed herself to be dragged along.

"What happened to the vampire that attacked me?"

"We got rid of him." Maksim didn't break his stride or even turn to look at her. Hermione was chilled at the indifference in his voice and felt her panic increase. Clenching he fists, Hermione concentrated on the feeling of her nails digging in to her skin. Afraid to hear anymore of what had happened, Hermione fell silent. Eventually Maksim dropped her arm and moved ahead, leaving her behind. Hermione sighed and walked faster to keep up, fighting not to loose her lunch.

The sun was just starting to rise.

* * *

"What the hell is that?"

The voice rang out in the Entrance Hall, causing Hermione and the Blues to wince. Once glance clearly showed that Severus Snape was not a happy man. He was, in fact, furious. _He looks like he did in the Shrieking Shack back in third year, _Hermione thought. His eyes were wide and wild looking, his lips curled back to show off his pointy teeth. The force of his anger was drawing his magic out, creating a sort of black cloud to hover around him. Hermione shrank back into Maksim, who was standing behind her. Searching around her quickly, Hermione could find no reason for Snape's rage.

"Is that blood? What happened? You were supposed to _protect her_." Snape hissed as he strode forward to tip Hermione's head up. A sharp pain sliced through her head, and Hermione winced and moved away instinctively from Snape's hands. Hermione noticed blood on his fingers, and for a moment couldn't figure out where it came from. It dawned on her after Snape began to run his fingers all over her head, looking for wounds. _The vampires showed remarkable restraint, _Hermione thought. _I never knew I was bleeding, and not once did they attempt to...well, eat me. _Hermione knew how riled up vampires could get when they scented blood. It was why when she got her menses, Hermione sprayed perfume over all her clothes (even her undergarments), to mask the scent of blood. Of course, the vampires knew that when she smelled like her own perfume shop that she was on her monthly, but they were kind and pretended to be oblivious.

"What the fuck happened out there, Apraxin?" Snape snarled. He pulled out his wand and began to cast complex healing spells - at least, that's what Hermioned hoped they were - over her body. The lessening of pain told Hermione her hopes were correct. Her eye stopped throbbing and her back no longer ached. A jab of pain and a sharp crack let Hermione know her arm was now healed. She gave a sigh of relief and smiled gratefully at the Potions Master before her. His face did not change, but his voice sounded calmer when he spoke. "Tell me." He demanded.

Nobody spoke. A few covert glances at Hermione prompted her to speak up, if only to stop the Professor for blaming them for her mistake.

"It was my mistake, sir. I wanted a clearer view of the fighting and I guess I got a little too close. I was attacked by this big man. He dragged me by my hair and threw me against a tree. I...must've passed out, because that's all I remember." Hermione finished.

Snape looked furious yet again.

"YOU...you...you went into the area of battle? Are you daft, you little idiot? You could have been killed, and then what? What do we tell Dumbledore or McGonagall, and the numerous other people that care about you? Could you imagine what they would've done?" Snape bellowed. He continued to rant, although Hermione stopped listening.

Hermione stared with wide eyes at the man before her. The whirl of emotions she'd felt that night was finally catching up with her. Snape's voice slowly faded, as well as the environment noises. All Hermione could hear was her own unsteady breathing. Her trembling worsened, shaking her entire body until she could barely stand.

Terror, shame, and fatigue overwhelmed her. Unable to take it, Hermione fainted for the second time that night.

* * *

Miss Granger's eyes rolling up in the back of her head alerted Severus that all was not well. He managed to swoop down and catch her before she could hit the floor, before Apraxin managed to get his hands all over her. One hand under her knees and the other wrapped around her back, Severus turned and walked towards the private rooms section of the mansion. Ignoring the whispers and stares that surrounded him, he calmly opened the door and disappeared beyond it, acting as though moments before he hadn't been bellowing.

It wasn't until he had reached the girls room that he realized he was being followed. Pausing to open the door, he looked back the way he came to see Apraxin making his way down the corridor. Stopping next to Severus, he reached out and opened the door for the struggling man. _It's bloody hard to open a door with your arms full of a stupid girl, but I'm sure I could've managed it, _Severus thought grumpily as he deposited the unconcious girl on the bed. _Still, he deserves thanks. _Inclining his head was all Severus could bring himself to acknowledge the help. Yanking off her shoes, Severus unhooked her cloak.

Using his wand to scan her body for injuries he had missed before, he was satisfied to see the girl was in as good a health as to be expected. Snape wanted to undress her more - so she'd be more comfortable, of course. However, Severus had no intention of doing so while Apraxin was in the room. Never taking his eyes off Miss Granger, Severus moved over to sit in the chair beside the bed. Apraxin raised an eyebrow at him.

"What are you doing?" He inquired. Severus gave him the look he reserved for only the most stupid of dunderheads.

"Waiting for Miss Granger to wake up," He replied. Apraxin looked baffled.

"Why? It's not like you care for her."

Severus was offended, even if that were a bit true. "I don't care for her, no. But I am in charge of her welfare and if she gets hurt, Dumbledore will have my -"

"Is that all you care about? Your body parts? What about Hermione? Did you even ask if she was alright?" Apraxin asked calmly. Severus was taken aback. These weren't questions Severus expecting Apraxin to ask. _It seems he really cares about the foolish girl. How unexpected, _Severus thought. _Especially considering his past. _

"My body parts are very important to me, Apraxin." Was all Severus said. Apraxin glowered down at him. Severus allowed himself to smirk. He closed his eyes and ran a hand through his hair and grimaced at the slightly greasy feel to it. When he opened his eyes, he found Apraxin bent over Miss Granger, brushing a lock of hair out of her face. Apraxin's fingers lingered longer than necessary, in Severus' opinion. A snarl twisting his lips, Severus stood.

"I think it's time you leave, Apraxin." He said softly. Apraxin examined Severus' face. Whatever he saw there convinced him that perhaps it really was best to leave. Straightening up, he spared one last glance at Granger before making his way to the door. Before he went through, Apraxin paused.

"Maybe I should have a talk with Dumbledore. Hermione should be looked after by someone who cares for her." Before Severus could respond, Apraxin was closing the door. Severus returned to his chair, settling in to wait for the wretched girl to awaken. Sighing, he leaned his head back against the wall behind him and closed his eyes again.

Severus wasn't one to examine his feelings, but he felt it was important he do so now. Miss Granger was stirring up feelings he wasn't comfortable feeling. Lust, he was used to. But out-of-control lust? When he wasn't touching her (which wasn't often) he was thinking about touching her. That scene in the ballroom had been unplanned. He hadn't meant to drag her into a corner and practically fuck the girl up against the wall. _I certainly never would've started it if I'd known I wouldn't be able to finish it, _Severus thought grimly. He'd been disappointed when he'd heard caughty sight of the old fart looking for him. He knew he wouldn't be able to ignore the man. Once the old man spotted him, he would've caused a scene for ignoring him, and he knew that Miss Granger would become unbearable if he drew attention to the fact he had her pinned against a wall.

Jealousy was another thing she was causing him to feel. He'd seen men in serious relationships with woman and had concluded that he was better off without them around. They complicated things ridiculously, and his life was bad enough, thank you. He liked them for sex, and nothing more. He had certainly never been jealous over one before, and he didn't enjoy the feeling.

Not one bit.

He was possessive of the girl, too. Another thing he wasn't used to feeling - his woman had been notoriously 'loose' and he had known very well that when they weren't with him, they were with somebody else. Vice versa, as well. He didn't like the idea of Hermione looking at other men, let alone being romantically involved with one. Seeing Apraxin touch her face had made him want to cut the other vampires hand off.

Severus frowned as he considered what other feelings he might be experiencing. Irritation, exasperation...those were emotions he was familiar with. Severus relaxed into his chair even more. No annoying, disgusting emotions to deal with - emotions like affection, care, desire to see happy...no, nothing like that at all. He cared about her just enough to make sure she was well for his own pleasures.

This pleased the Potions Master.

Miss Granger sighed, alerting Severus she was waking up. He opened his eyes and moved closer to the bed. He watched as Miss Granger stretched, causing her shirt to ride up. Severus stared at the smooth, pale skin revealed to him. _It looks so soft, so warm..._Blinking, Severus tore his gaze away from her stomach and to Miss Grangers eyes. They were fluttering, then opened slowly to reveal her warm brown eyes. Not seeing the Potions Master right away, Miss Granger's lips curled up into a content style. It was only when he shifted that she noticed he was standing there.

With a shriek, she gripped the blanket and rolled away from him. Breathing heavily, eyes wide with fear, Miss Granger stood on the other side of the bed, wrapped up in a blanket. Raising an eyebrow, Severus stayed where he was and waited for Miss Granger to calm down.

"P-professor Snape." Miss Granger whispered. _She obviously expects me to yell. _Amused, Severus felt his lips twitch. This seemed to frighten the girl even more. She took two large steps back, large eyes never leaving his face. She was cluthing the blanket so tightly her knuckles turned white.

"Miss Granger." Severus replied politely. "If you're done with your hysterics..." Anger darkened Miss Granger's eyes.

"I wouldn't of been so afraid if you would learn to control your anger." Miss Granger snapped.

"I'm perfectly capable of controlling my anger when I'm not confronted with the idiocy of a foolish girl." Snape snapped back. Miss Granger pursed her lips.

"You didn't find me a foolish girl when you had me up against a wall."

Snape smirked. "Yes, well...you weren't acting like a dunderhead at that time." Miss Granger clenched her fists. Her face was turning red, and her hair was almost crackling with energy. Snape's smirked widened, and he continued speaking, wishing to insult her for daring to comment on his control of his anger. "In fact, I think that's the only time I've noticed you haven't acted like a complete fool. I suppose the only way to make you behave is to distract you by fucking --"

Hitting the floor with a thump, Severus was on his feet in an instant. Granger's wand was trained on him, her eyes dark and hard as they stared at him from across the room. Severus took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He could feel his magic running along his skin, making the hairs stand up and the skin to tingle. His head was pounding, and he could feel his teeth slipping down. Experience let Severus know that his eyes were probably turning a deep, deep red.

"You...little...bitch..." Severus whispered. He watched with enjoyment as Granger blanched, her entire body shaking with the force of her fear. Nevertheless, she stood her ground, her wand never wavering. Severus took a step forward, making no noise as he moved across the room. Rooted to the spot, Granger could do nothing more than stare as he drew closer.

Severus stood as close to Granger without actually touching her as he could. He leaned forward, putting his face right up in hers.

"You dared to hex me?" He asked slowly and quietly. Regaining her ability to move, Granger began to back away. Severus reached out and grabbed her before she could do more than sway away from him. Yanking her close, Severus allowed his breath to flit across her face. He pulled his lips back, bearing his teeth to the girl. Hermione's eyes widened as they slid to his mouth. With a cry, Granger tried jerking her arm away from him. A normal man would have problems retraining the young woman, but Severus was no normal man. He was able to keep his hold on her arm.

"Please..." Granger whimpered. Severus didn't move. "Please...let me go..." She pleaded. Severus moved his face closer to hers.

"No!" He snarled. He watched with interest as tears gathered in her eyes. A drop lingered on her eyelashes before sliding down her smooth cheek. He watched it go, staring as it hung from her chin. When it fell, he blinked. Glancing down, he saw his fingers were digging in to her arm. He released her and stepped back.

"Do not _ever _hex me." He warned her. He felt his composure slip back into place. _I wanted to show the girl just who she was messing with, _Severus thought - with a little regret, not that he'd ever say so - _not make her cry. _"Miss Granger...I...apologize for scaring you so. You really should not provoke a vampire."

Granger seemed surprise at his apology, but nodded anyway. Her calm expression was belied her shaking fingers. "I know, sir. I was just so angry..."

"Perhaps before you suggest someone else cannot control their anger, you should learn to control yours." Severus commented. Hermione winced and nodded. He could see past her calm expression to the terror behind them. Feeling the urge to rid those dark eyes of the fear haunting, he did something he'd never done before: he apologized twice. "Again, I apologize for my actions."

"You were teaching me a lesson." Granger shivered. "One I'll remember very well..."

"Yes, well..." Severus murmured. The fear was still there, although nowhere near prominent as before. Reaching out, he gently took Hermione's hand in his. He could feel her tense, and not in a good way. Severus bowed over her hand, lips hovering over it. A tiny brush of his lips was all he permitted himself to do. Letting go of her hand just as gently as he took it, Severus said nothing as he headed for the door. Hermione gaped at him in surprise. Slowly a smile spread across her face.

"Goodnight, professor." She called.

"Goodnight, Miss Granger." He responded without turning around. He shut the door quietly and made his way quickly to his rooms. He nodded a greeting to those he passed, but did not stop to talk. He longed to be alone, to think of what he'd nearly done. Entering his dark room, he collapsed on to the bed. _I came very close to destroying the trust the girl has in me. That would've made being her protector quite hard. _Staring up at his canopy, Severus made himself a promise.

_I'll treat her as an equal. Not as a friend, but as an equal. _

Rolling over, Severus allowed himself to smile. _Yes, that's what I'll do.

* * *

_

**Little Notes: The killing curse would work on a Dhampir, because they're alive (unless they take after their vampire parent more). ****In Severus' POV: Miss Granger when he's feeling "alright" about her. Granger when he's pissed.**

**_I promised I'd update that one Friday, but a change of plans had me gone the entire Christmas break. So I'm posting this chapter as a sort of apology. I'm once again all out of chapters, and I do need to take some time to write more. I'm hoping I'll get at least 3 done, but if too much time begins to pass before that happens I'll start posting. _Never fear, this story will not be abandoned.**

**Please review!**


	11. Chapter Eleven

**I'd like to thank - and apologize to - Sirius Star Holder and everyone else I promised an update to, and was unable to deliver. Thanks to FFBecky on YouTube for asking for a Trailer for A World of Darkness. Thanks to ForgetfulLove for creating the trailer. It means so much to me! **

_**This chapter is unbeta'd, and will be replaced with the beta'd version shortly.**_

* * *

Chapter Eleven

"Here," Professor Snape snarled with a face twisted with disgust. He shoved a small pile of letters in Hermione's direction, and she just barely managed to catch them before the older man was walking away. Watching him go, Hermione wished just once the man wouldn't be so _angry _about everything. With a shrug – _like that was ever going to happen_ – Hermione turned her attention to the pile of letters in clutched in her hand.

Flipping through them, Hermione realized that all the letters were from her friends, and one was from…Professor Dumbledore? Wishing for privacy, Hermione turned and hurried to her room, pausing only to greet those she knew formally. Reaching her bedroom, she closed the door and leaned against it. With a sigh, Hermione moved to her bed and settled down on it.

Wiggling around to get more comfortable, she opened the first letter – the parchment was full of sloppy, smudged writing – a clear indication is was from Ron.

'_**Mione,**_

_**I hope you're doing well, wherever you are. Those bastards haven't tried anything, have they? If they have, me and Harry will come save you. We'll kick all their arses and make them wish they'd never met you. I bet Snape's being a real pain in the ass. He comes here and tells us what's been up with you, but he's never very nice about it. He doesn't say much either, except that you're still alive and breathing. What the hell kind of news is that? When Dumbledore asked him to deliver these letters to you for us, he looked like he was going to burn them the moment Dumbledore turned his back.**_

_**When you get back, Hermione…do you want to, ya know, hang out? We could go to Hogsmeade or something, and I swear I won't talk about Quidditch! Ah, it's time for dinner, so I've got to go. **_

_**I hope you're well, and please tell me if those vampires do anything to you, okay?**_

_**  
Much love,**_

_**Ron**_

Hermione smiled when she finished, and even as tears stung her eyes she gently smoothed out the parchment to get rid of the creases. The curly-haired witch could almost hear his stomach rumbling. Reading it one more time before setting it aside, she frowned a little as she read his invitation to "hang out" at Hogsmeade. _I'm pretty sure I don't feel that way about him any longer, _she thought. _What do I say? _

Unwilling to think about that now, Hermione carefully folded that letter up and set it aside. Reaching out, she picked up the next letter – this one covered with small, careful writing – Ginny's.

_**Hermione,**_

_**I don't know if you'll get this – Snape didn't seem too happy to be our delivery boy – but I wanted to write anyway. It's lonely without you here. While I love them both, Harry and Ron aren't exactly the type a girl can confide in, and I won't go to Mother or anybody else. Harry and Ron have been going crazy without real news from you – Snape's as stingy as ever in his replies to inquiries about you. I think he only bothers to respond because Dumbledore asked him to.**_

_**I'm doing well, and I really hope you are to. Are you safe? Nothing has happened, right? Everyone's worried about you, though Mother always says that if Snape says you're all right, it must be true. We'd love to hear back from you, so if you could just find a way to send word…**_

_**Mum's calling out – it's dinnertime. I have to go, but please write back! **_

_**I miss you!**_

_**Ginny**_

With a fond smile for the red-haired girl, Hermione could imagine Ginny splayed out on her bed, her brow furrowed in concentration. _I miss you too, Ginny._ Hermione even missed her long discussions about Harry with the younger girl.With a sad smile – she was beginning to miss everybody, in fact – she laid that letter aside as well and picked up the next, this one undoubtedly Harry's.

'_**Mione,**_

_**I'm so worried about you! Nobody's heard anything about you for weeks. We're all wondering why you haven't been writing. Snape won't say much about you, and it's making me angry. I want to know how my best friend is doing! Still, there's not much I can do about it. I asked Dumbledore to do something, but he only lectured me on being patient and believing in adults.**_

_**What he means is believe in Snape, but that's not really likely to happen. But really, how are you doing? You can tell me anything, even if it's only the smallest thing. I'd really like to see you, but so far nobody's said anything about that. Though when I mentioned it, a few of the older Order members got odd looking.**_

_**Mrs. Weasley's been banging on my door for a while now, telling me its dinnertime. If I don't go, she's going to break down the door and force feed me. I think it's great how everyone has to attend dinner, unless you're ill. **_

_**Hoping your well (and **__**write back!**_

_**Harry**_

Hermione couldn't hold back the tears any more. The familiar writing of her friends was making her feel so lonely, and she missed them with a fierceness she hadn't realized possible. She wanted to see Harry's shocking green eyes, and Ron's messy red hair…

But she couldn't. Not while she was stuck in this horrible place, with these…things. Realizing that she was getting depressed and angry – she'd never thought things like that before – she rolled over and sat up, scrubbing at her eyes vigorously to get rid of the tears that still lingered. _I just need to get through this, and then I can see them all again. _

Turning to gather up her letters, Hermione turned adjusted her position so she could lean across the bed to grab her letters. Hearing the sound of paper crinkling, Hermione glanced down at the hand that was propping her up. Beneath it was Dumbledore's letter, his bright personal seal sticking out against the cream parchment. Hesitantly, as if afraid of it, she reached out and picked it up.

_Might as well get this over with, _she told herself. _I've got a bad feeling about all this…_

Hurriedly opening the letter – _get it over with, get it over with _– she unfolded the paper and immediately began to read.

_**Miss Granger,**_

_**I hope this letter finds you well. I'm sure Severus will deliver this letter, and all your others, to you safely, but I'm afraid he didn't seem too thrilled with the prospect. Nevertheless, I'm sure you won't mind if he's a tad grumpy. That boy needs to cheer up. Eat a few lemon drops, read a few good books…**_

_**  
Ahem.**_

_**Anyway, I thought it best if I personally told you the news, since I'm afraid Severus would probably manage to twist things and make it seem like something truly unpleasant is about to happen. You see, your stay at Shadowland will be cut short, and you'll be turning to Hogwarts to begin your Mediwizardry training. Severus will be accompanying you, as will several other Shadowland dwellers. This is in part for your own protection – the Order cannot spare people to guard you, sadly – but also so that they may help you with the research you're doing for the vampires. **_

_**I ask that you not tell anybody in the Order of your research, especially not your friends. It could cause a few problems, and we cannot let anybody know the vampires are our allies; at least, not yet. Because you have been introduced to some very high profile vampires, we are going to ask that you become a liaison for us and King Alexion. It would be most helpful, my dear. I'll explain what that entails later.**_

_**You can respond when we meet again at Hogwarts. I hope they're treating you well – while they mean well, sometimes they forget that humans and vampires are different in some key aspects.**_

_**Fondly,**_

_**Albus Dumbledore**_

_I'm…I'm returning to Hogwarts? _Hermione felt all traces of depression and sadness disappear. _I'll be able to see everybody again! _Going through the letter carefully this time, Hermione noticed that Dumbledore didn't say when she'd be leaving Shadowland. Still, this small detail couldn't put an end to Hermione's happiness. Bouncing up from the bed, Hermione did a little dance, Dumbledore's letter still clutched in one hand.

"Good news from your boyfriend, perhaps?" A sardonic voice said. Spinning around, Hermione found Professor Snape and Cosimo standing in the doorway. Snape looked as grumpy and unkempt as ever; he was still wearing is black button-up outfit, and his eyes snapped with…something. _Anger? _Hermione wondered. A small movement pulled her attention from her dour professor and to the shorter man next to him.

Cosimo grinned warmly at her, his blue eyes glowing in her direction. His cloak was extravagant but oddly eye-catching: a deep blue giving way to a dark purple, with silver swirls around the edges of the cloak. Hermione couldn't help but smile back. _I don't even really notice his scars any more, _she thought.

"Not my boyfriend, no. I've just read the Headmaster's letter!" Hermione exclaimed, waving said letter around in the air, as if they couldn't see it from where they were standing. "It's the best news I've heard in a long time." With every word she spoke, Professor Snape's face seemed to darken with anger. Hermione felt her grin falter, and her arm dropped down to her side. She stood awkwardly next to her bed, nervously waiting for her former Professor to speak.

"How wonderful for you. May your good fortune last," He snarled, and with a swish of his cloak, spun around and exited the room. His footsteps could be heard for some time, and odd occurrence. _That man could walk silently on anything_, Hermione thought. _I wonder what has him so upset? _

"Ah, don't mind him. He feels guilty over what happened to you, and a family member is returning to Shadowland after a long absence. It's putting him on edge," Cosimo explained. He glided across the room and patted Hermione affectionately on the head. "Don't you worry your pretty little head over anything. So what's this news that has you in such a spin?" Sitting down on the edge of her bed, he looked up at her, a smile still lingering on his lips.

"Oh, well…it seems I'll be returning to Hogwarts at some point in the future." Hermione commented. Then, before Cosimo could speak, Hermione continued. "What's the Professor got to feel guilty over?"

"Most unfortunate," Cosimo said with a sad sigh. "He feels it is his fault that you got injured in your sojourn with the blues. Especially since it left a scar." He added. Hermione frowned and looked over her arms.

"Scar? I haven't got a scar."

Cosimo nodded. "But you do, love. Right underneath your left eye." Hermione raised a hand and touched the mentioned place, but could feel no raised skin. "Not to worry, it isn't a large one, and it's difficult to see unless you're close up." He reassured Hermione, who only shook her head.

"I don't care," she smiled. "I'm not one to fuss over my looks." Taking a seat on the bed next to the vampire, Hermione marveled at how comfortable she was around him. _I really am fond of him, _she thought. _He makes me laugh, and he's so nice. _Hermione didn't doubt he could be truly vicious if he so chose, but she hadn't seen that side of him.

"Um, Cosimo?" Hermione asked tentatively. Cosimo had tilted his head back and his eyes closed. He looked like he was resting upright, and he seemed very peaceful. He made a soft "hmm?" sound, and Hermione took that as indication that she could go on. "What…what family member of Sna – er, the Professor's is coming?"

Opening one eye – the eye closest to Hermione – he peered down at her thoughtfully. "He hasn't told you?" He inquired, and Hermione shook her head. "Not so odd, I suppose. It's his father that's to arrive tomorrow night, after a long stay away from the mansion." Hermione couldn't hide the shock she felt at such news.

"His FATHER?" She screeched. Cosimo chuckled and closed the eye he had opened.

"Of course. He wasn't born from a pod." He murmured. "He doesn't get along with his father, so it's a stressful time for him. Severus' father is one of the originals, you know." He commented, as if this was no big deal. Hermione could feel her mouth opening and closing in surprise.

"An original vampire? Seriously?" She squeaked.

"Oh yes. He has sworn his loyalty to King Alexion, and serves as Alexion's most trusted advisor and friend. With such a prestigious position in the court, he holds high expectations for his only son, expectations that Severus finds difficult to reach. They argue most of the time, and refuse to acknowledge each other the rest. I wouldn't mention him to Severus if I were you," He concluded, and then fell silent.

Hermione fell silent as well. _Professor Snape's father! Will I be introduced to him? I suppose I will. I've been introduced to everybody else it feels like. I wonder what sort of man he is? _

"I must leave you now, Hermione. There's many preparations to get done, and I've got my part like the rest of the peons." Cosimo said. Hermione blinked in surprise, but Cosimo only patted her on the head again. "You should be able to occupy yourself for the rest of the night, won't you?" Hermione nodded, and bid the older man goodnight.

Standing up, Hermione quickly moved to a desk she had put in the room. Spread across the table was pages of notes, all the research she had completed so far. Settling in to her chair, she picked up her quill and opened the nearest book to where she'd left off.

"Experimenting with Charms: Spell Combination," she read out loud. Rubbing the back of her neck, which she knew from experience would be aching by the time she went to bed, Hermione leaned forward to read, her hand positioned to begin writing immediately.

* * *

The doors creaked open, and the noise level on the other side immediately dropped to almost nothing. Hesitant to walk through the door, knowing that she'd be the center of attention, Hermione paused to nervously adjust her outfit. Knowing she can no longer put it off, the young woman stepped through the doorway and in to the chamber. 

Hundreds of vampires: that was the impression she had as she entered. All the faces were turned expectantly toward her, waiting, watching…Telling herself sternly to take her time going down the isle toward the dais with the King and Queen, Hermione forced a smile on her lips. Standing before the seated King and Queen, his back turned toward her, was a black-haired man.

_The Professor's father, perhaps? _Hermione thought. Licking her lips she came up beside him and bowed as low as possible to the most important people at Shadowland. Hermione wished for a glimpse of the face of the man beside her, but she didn't dare take a peek. It would be considered rude, and she wanted to leave this man with a good first impression of her.

For the life of her, the pretty witch couldn't figure out why.

"Miss Granger, it is lovely to see you, as always." The king said, his voice warm. Murmuring thanks, Hermione kept her eyes on the King's feet. After a brief silence, the King spoke again "My dear, there is no need to be shy,"

"I apologize, sir. I…so many people!" Hermione blurted out, and felt her face heat with a blush. A small titter swept through the room, but it didn't have a malicious feel to it, like they were enjoying her embarrassment. The king chuckled.

"Yes, well, it's not every day the king's advisor and most trusted friend returns." He explained. Hermione nodded in agreement. "Augustus is remarkable in his own right, of course. An original vampire and father to a Dhampir, he commands respect."

Turning his attention away from Hermione, finally, the king spoke to the tall man at the foot of the dais. "Augustus, this is Miss Hermione Granger, Hogwarts graduate, and a former student of your son's. She is here on behalf of Dumbledore's Order of the Phoenix, and is a charming young lady."

Feeling it was an appropriate time to look upon the face of Severus Snape's father, Hermione turned with a polite smile. A glance at her face had her smile dimming somewhat. The man was intimidating, with piercing black eyes, frowning lips, and a small goatee. Though not big in the way of muscles, he exuded an aura of strength. He seemed angry, and not at all inclined to being friendly. Still, he gracefully inclined his head and muttered a polite greeting.

Barely managing to return the greeting, Hermione was glad when those dark eyes – so like his son's, but somehow different: colder, maybe. No, not colder. Snape's eyes were cold, and showed a distinct dislike of everything it looked at. _This man's eyes…they're dead. Expressionless…_Hermione didn't like looking at him. He made her uncomfortable and scared, in a way she hadn't been for a long time.

"Perhaps the two of you will find some time to spend together, at some point. I'm sure you'd have much to talk about. Augustus is going to lend assistance in the research, so you'll spend some time together. He's extremely intelligent, and has access to books that contain arcane knowledge. He'll be a valuable partner." The king said to Hermione. He did not seem to notice the lack of warmth between the two, or the lack of enthusiasm the two had for the idea of working together. _Still, best not to protest, _Hermione thought.

"Of course," Hermione agreed brightly. Augustus Snape bowed low, an obliging smile on his lips. Taking her seat in the designated area – to the right of the dais, amongst the high-ranking vampires – Hermione barely listened to the reports the vampires were giving. Time passed too slowly for the young woman, and when the session finally ended, she hurried for the door.

Someone caught her elbow, and spinning around, Hermione was relieved to find Apraxin. "Oh, it's only you," She sighed. Raising an eyebrow, but looking unsurprised, he led her away from the stream of vampires leaving the room. Leaning against the wall in a small alcove, he observed her silently.

"Augustus Snape," Apraxin began suddenly, "does not like humans. For good reason," He added when he caught sight of Hermione's scared expression. "Snape was once married to a human – a women name Arianna. He loved her dearly, and worshipped the ground she walked on. During the time that human's hunted vampires vigorously, she was accused of consorting with us 'evil animals'. Her own kind killed her, even though she was a gentle, kind woman that many loved. Snape could never forgive those that took away the most important thing in the world from him. Do not take any of his comments to heart, and do not be afraid. You are a liaison, he wouldn't dare harm you, Original or no."

Unused to hearing such a long speech from the normally silent man, Hermione could make no reply. Hesitating slightly, Apraxin awkwardly patted Hermione on the back before quickly making his way down the corridor, back ramrod straight. _Was that…an attempt at comfort? _She thought.

Touched that he'd taken the time to explain in an effort to make her feel better, Hermione smiled fondly as she moved through the dark corridors and up the stairs to the main part of the house. Knowing she'd better hurry to the library for more research, she made no move to stop and converse with the few vampires that littered the hall.

Her shoes made muffled tapping noises and Hermione walked through the house. Absent-mindedly pulling her hair up in a messy bun, Hermione thought of what she'd just learned. _That poor man! To have something he loved so much taken from him…it must have been heart-wrenching. And to have a constant reminder of his love…perhaps that is why he is so harsh on Professor Snape? I wonder if there's any way for the two to get along. _

Reaching the library, Hermione raised a hand and pressed it to the door, ready to push it open and enter. However, Cosimo and Severus' voice could be heard through the door, though it was difficult to make out the exact words. Never giving it a second thought, Hermione pressed her ear against the door to listen in on their conversation.

"He whispered, 'you're next'. Now he's nowhere to be found, and there's evidence he works for the other side!" Cosimo said heatedly.

"Touth will be caught. He can't of gotten far," Was the calm reply.

"Severus, he's dangerous. He knows the layout of Shadowland, and he knows who King Alexion's personal guards are. This is not something that can be ignored, we must do something!"

"The king is having the situation investigated. He does not want to tarnish a possible innocent man's name simply because there's a possibility he works for the other side." Professor Snape said calmly.

Cosimo sighed loudly. "I suppose that's all I'll get out of you," he said mournfully. "I thought since Hermione is in danger you'd act, but –"

"Miss Granger has _nothing _to do with it!" Snape hissed. Hermione knew that tone; it meant that whoever was with him had better back off.

"She had something to do with it, and you know it. He's got something planned for her, and you're sitting on your ass –" Cosimo said firmly. There was a loud noise, like glass hitting something hard. Hermione assumed Professor Snape had set his glass of alcohol down with a little more force than necessary.

"I will take care of Miss Granger, don't you worry. I don't care if he said it outright that he was targeting her, the situation is being investigated." Snape snarled. Hermione could almost feel the aura of anger and disagreement. Swallowing heavily, Hermione made a decision.

_I don't want them to fight each other, _she thought firmly. Taking a step back and putting on a smile, Hermione pushed open the door. As she had predicted, Snape and Cosimo were face-to-face, expressions dark with anger. On the stand next to the chair Snape had been sitting it was a small glass of brandy. In the split second Hermione had to take all this in, Snape and Cosimo's expressions had changed. Cosimo looked as cheerful as ever, while Snape scowled.

"Where have you been?" Professor Snape asked.

"I got caught up in my thinking and took a wrong turn," Hermione said sheepishly. She could feel her cheeks heat up at the lie, and hoped they took it for embarrassment. They seemed to, since Cosimo flashed a smile and opened a book. Snape muttered under his breath, no doubt unpleasant, snarky thoughts.

Shrugging her shoulders, Hermione browsed the bookshelf for a likely looking book.

Inside her head, she counted the days until she could leave: nine.

* * *

**Yes, this chapter is so very long over-due. Please forgive any mistakes you've found. And I don't think it's even worth updating with, but it's all I have. I wonder how many of my readers are writers as well? If so, then perhaps you can understand: have any of you ever had the type of writer's block where you write something, and hate it so much you delete it and start over? I've been suffering from that for the past few months. I still am suffering from it (gods, I hate this chapter), but thought it about time I suck it up and update.**

**Writer's block is completely horrible.**

**I hope you all can forgive me, and I'd like to promise another update soon, but I'm not sure I'll be able to deliver. Thank you, everybody, for you kind updates. If it weren't for you, I probably wouldn't have continued this.**


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